Reflections of the Past
by MetaSigma
Summary: Continuing on the plot line of Crossing you see a little farther into Meta's past, and about an old foe he must face in the present time...
1. A Sailor Scout's Beginning

Reflections of the Past  
  
A Sailor Scout's Beginning…  
  
"You know…I may never see you again. If all goes according to plan."  
  
Usagi looked to the ground most displeased with his decision. She had a feeling it was for the best however. "At least I got to meet my brother," she replied looking out at the sunset.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"When you were born, the council forgot about me completely and worked as hard as they could trying to prepare you for the day you would ascend to the throne. Was I given a chance to live? To be given my heritage? I was to be KILLED!! I was SHUN from my heritage!! How do you expect me not to feel angry…NOT to feel UPSET! I WAS NEARLY ROBBED OF MY VERY EXISTANCE!!!"  
  
Sailor Moon stood in place unable to think of anything and her eyes felt warm and watery.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"Usagi…I'm…sorry, but…I don't think I'm going to be…seeing you again…"  
  
"Aaron…don't say that…you'll be fine…you won't die…"  
  
"Usagi…it's…it's too late to save me…" Aaron's eyes fell and he died in her arms.  
  
"Aaron…Aaron! AARON!!!!" *End Flashback*  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
"And after that…I appeared back in my room…alive." Aaron turned his head to the side and sighed. "And Sabin, he didn't make it back. He's still in there wondering what to do most likely." Aaron looked to his alarm clock and noticed the time. He sighed and said, "I'm alone and abandoned…again."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Japan…  
  
"Are you sure there isn't a way to open a portal?" Sabin asked.  
  
Chibi-Usa grunted and growled before sighing. She had failed in her attempt and said, "'Fraid not. After Aaron locked down my latent powers I no longer have the ability to open up portals."  
  
Usagi finished, "So…it looks like Sabin is going to be here a while."  
  
Chibi-Usa nodded, "Until we can find a way to break the lock down…I won't be able to do anything, and Sabin isn't going anywhere."  
  
"What should I do till then?" Sabin asked.  
  
"You'll just have to stay at Rei-chan's a while longer," Usagi replied.  
  
Sabin closed his eyes and smiled, "There isn't anything wrong with that. If I must…then I must!"  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Aaron awoke to the sound of his alarm and checked the date on the VCR. "Five days. It's been five days since I returned confused as ever. He stretched himself out and dressed for the long day ahead.  
  
Two hours later…  
  
"Yeah…I was out for a few days. Of course. Yeah. I can. Nice. All right. Yeah. Talk to you soon. Yeah. Bye." Aaron sighed and shook his head, "Women." About a half-hour later the doorbell rang. "Come in!!" Aaron yelled.  
  
The door opened and a brown haired girl came in. "Hey Shane," she said with a sweet voice.  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"Nothing much. You ready yet?"  
  
"Give me a few seconds." Aaron headed into his room and looked at the Sigma medallion on his head dresser. "Better safe than sorry," he thought putting the medallion around his neck. He gave a deep, soothing breath and headed out of his room shutting the door. He motioned to the girl and said, "Let's go!"  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Japan…  
  
"I've always wondered what you guys do when there's peace!" Sabin said taking a hearty bite into a piece of watermelon.  
  
The air was abuzz with activity, but Chibi-Usa seemed a bit in the doldrums. "Man I miss home. I miss Aaron. I miss…" she looked at Usagi and Mamoru.  
  
"Miss your parents?" Sabin tapped her shoulder, as she seemed to stare off for a moment.  
  
"Yeah…I guess you kinda understand considering you're far from home as well."  
  
"Truth be told…I'ld prefer staying here over going back."  
  
Chibi-Usa looked at him rather surprised and asked, "Why?"  
  
"Life here isn't so…depressing. Where I come from it's just so dull. Like I said at the funeral. Shane spiced up my life with constant threat from something or the occasional crush from a girl and everything."  
  
"So the rest of the place is dull?"  
  
"In my opinion yes. It's been a dream of mine to live in Japan with the one I love. Ironic isn't it. Here I am, with Rei, in Japan. Irony at its finest."  
  
Chibi-Usa sighed, "I have yet to find someone to love." She lowered her head slightly.  
  
Sabin looked at her and said, "Cheer up Chibi-Usa. One day you'll find someone you'll fall in love with. Trust me." He gave her a smile of confidence and she looked up at him.  
  
She nodded and took a bite out of her piece of watermelon. The chatter continued amongst the picnic, but none of them knew they were being watched and studied for possibilities.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
US…  
  
"What now Schala?" Aaron asked the brown-haired beauty.  
  
"Let's take a break and grab a bite to eat." Schala tugged Aaron over to one of the many places to eat and said, "So…which one do you want?" She made a light laugh considering there were near 15 different places you could order food from.  
  
"Let's try the Japanese place. Hopefully the curry is good."  
  
After Schala and Aaron placed their orders and paid, they sat down at a table and waited for their food to arrive. Aaron moaned and put a hand to his head suddenly feeling a slight headache approach. Schala looked at him almost expecting to tell him everything and said, "You know I want to know where you were these last few days."  
  
"Out and about really."  
  
"Where exactly? I mean, I called like…10 – 15 times and no one answered the phone."  
  
"Well, I don't know why my parents didn't answer the phone, but they might have had business matters to attend. I don't know about my brother and sister. Both of them are really lazy so I can't really account for them."  
  
"So where 'out and about' were you?"  
  
Aaron bit his tongue and said, "Sore wa himitsu desu."  
  
Schala lowered her head and said in a depressing manor, "You know…I was worried…when you were gone for more than 2 days."  
  
Aaron's face returned from the held back look to a serious one and he replied, "That's a first…"  
  
Schala looked upset by his remark and said a bit angered, "This isn't a joke you jerk! I'm serious! I was worried!"  
  
Aaron sighed and put the hand back to his face again, "I'm…sorry Schala. The events that happened where I was...they are really weighing heavy on my mind. I've been really burned out by them the last few days."  
  
Schala nodded and looked down at the table trying not to show the apparent tears in her eyes. "Excuse me for a moment. I think something flew into my eye." She shuffled off to the bathrooms in a hurry leaving Aaron alone at the table.  
  
"Now I feel like an ass," Aaron groaned.  
  
"Sir," a girl with black, thinly veiled hair stood over Aaron with a tray containing to bowls of curry. She lowered the tray onto the table and said, "Here are your dishes of curry." As she set it on the table a dark glint came from her eye.  
  
Aaron raised an eyebrow and said with a prideful tone, "If you so wish to fight me…why don't you let me get ready and we'll go at it."  
  
The girl's eyes narrowed and she grinned, "Make it snappy…MetaSigma."  
  
Aaron made an evil of sorts laugh and replied, "I hate to break it to you, but I'm not the fabled MetaSigma you speak of. It would be hellva cool if I could be him! Damn, that guy kicks some serious ass."  
  
The girl gritted her teeth and said, "Don't tempt me to force it out of you putrid human."  
  
Aaron shrugged, "Sorry to disappoint you your royal whoreness."  
  
The girl opened her mouth to yell at his comment, but her manager yelled out, "Hey! Get back here and get to work! I don't pay you for blabbing to customers!"  
  
She looked back over at the manager and started a dark, high-pitched laugh. "I've got some work to do now!" she threw off her apron revealing a pair of zelonite leg stockings and finished, "But first I'm gonna do my other job!"  
  
A pair of closed eyes was imbedded at the knees of the stockings. They opened revealing dark purple irises that sprayed the area with rays of light. "Look out!" People yelled trying to avoid the rays.  
  
All the people around Aaron were frozen as if he had been taken out of current time. "This is some very trippy shit!"  
  
"Now MetaSigma, you have a choice: You can fight me as MetaSigma or…I will kill your little girlfriend Schala."  
  
Aaron looked over at the frozen figure of Schala coming out of the bathrooms. Aaron shrugged, "Go ahead and kill her. No skin off my back." He got up ready to leave and continued, "I do have one question for you before you kill her."  
  
"And what prey-tell is that?"  
  
"Why are you invading my mind trying to trick me when I know I'm inside my own mind?"  
  
A mighty crash hit, and the image shattered like glass. "Shane…Shane…SHANE!!"  
  
Aaron jumped up out of his seat and looked around. "Man, I'm back from the heinous mind assault." He noticed Schala and once more put his hand to his head and moaned.  
  
Schala looked concerned and said, "Are you OK?"  
  
"Yeah…I think I had a momentary black out."  
  
"Do you just want to head back to your house?"  
  
"I'll…be OK. Let's just continue having fun," Aaron smiled clearly feeling the effects of the headache.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Japan…  
  
"It's been a week, and not an ounce of progress has been made," Sabin sighed.  
  
"Have patience Sabin," Rei said, "You can't expect things to change overnight."  
  
Sabin tossed a little his sleeping bag and made a groan. "She's right Sabin," Makoto agreed.  
  
Sabin sighed and nodded, "You're right…I'm just…worried about what happened to Shane and all."  
  
"We're all worried about what happened to him, but we can't do anything if we can't get a way back to where you come from. The more we worry the more we lose sight of how to solve the problem at hand. Just relax and have faith. We'll figure something out one way or another."  
  
Sabin nodded and slithered out of his sleeping bag. He got up and stretched saying, "Excuse me, I need a few minutes to clear my head." He opened Makoto's terrace sliding door and stepped out amongst the twinkling stars lining the sky here and dotting there. "I'm happy…but I'm homesick still." Sabin looked from the sky down and across the brightly lit city until he noticed a strange black object swirling about under a streetlight in the park near Makoto's apartment. "Could that be…?" Sabin looked on in hope, but confusion at the same time. He hopped over the end of the terrace and executed his armour. When he hit the ground he kicked the accelerators in his boots and dashed toward what he saw. "I swear it was near here," Zerto said searching the area. After a few more minutes of searching he found the strange swirling object. "I don't believe this! How could this actually exist if Aaron cut off the use of them?!"  
  
"Maybe this isn't a portal," a voice said amongst the shadows of night.  
  
"Who are you?!" Zerto ignited his saber scanning the area for something that might be hostile.  
  
A man with red hair emerged from the shadows of the statue and said in a calm manner, "You can put your saber away Sabin, you have nothing to fear from me."  
  
Zerto narrowed his eyes and held his saber even tighter replying, "Like hell I will."  
  
The man simple shrugged and started, "The choice is yours. You know what this is don't you?"  
  
"If I do?"  
  
"Sabin…don't get so defensive. I give you my word that neither I nor anyone else will attack you."  
  
Zerto growled a little and lowered his beam saber telling, "All right…tell me what's going."  
  
"Certainly. I assume you are still looking for a way to return to your own reality?"  
  
"I might be…what's it to you?"  
  
"Well, I might be able to help you…"  
  
Zerto pondered for a second and replied, "Sorry man…but you needent concern yourself with my matters." Zerto turned around and started to walk away.  
  
"But, if that's true…why haven't you returned yet?" Zerto stopped and the red-haired man grinned slyly. "Maybe you don't want to return? Perhaps your life would be better here?"  
  
"I'll be glad when I return home. Then I can help comfort his friends when they learn of the bad news of his death." Sabin kicked the accelerators in his boots and something like the sound of glass crashing tore him from his dash.  
  
"Sabin! Sabin!! SABIN!!!"  
  
Sabin shook his head and looked around. For some reason he was back in his sleeping bag once more. He looked around completely surprised and said in confusion, "How the-?"  
  
"You Ok Sabin? You've been zoned out for the past 30 minutes," Rei said in a concerned voice.  
  
"Zoned out?"  
  
"Yeah…you just…fell over out on the terrace," Makoto said.  
  
"I wasn't even on the terrace. I hopped off the thing to investigate something."  
  
"No Sabin…you never left."  
  
"But…if I never left…"  
  
"Maybe we should take you in to see the doctor Sabin," Rei suggested.  
  
"Hey, we can talk to Ami's mother about it tomorrow!" Makoto agreed.  
  
Sabin thought for a second and nodded. He relaxed his body back down to the pillow and sighed getting comfortable, "Night you two."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
US…  
  
"Windstrom…scan for temporal anomalies within a 20 mile radius," Aaron said to his computer.  
  
The metallic but sweet voice replied, "Scanning perimeter." After a bit of silence Windstrom replied, "I have found 13 different breaches in the space-time barrier."  
  
"13?!" Aaron jolted up from his leather chair, "What could open 13 breaches in the space-time continuum?!"  
  
"Unknown at this time."  
  
"Are they only allowing passage one way, or are they usable both ways?"  
  
"They appear from my initial scans to be one way portals, but that may change, as they are expanding at a steady rate."  
  
"Give me a printout of all locations of the anomalies."  
  
Windstrom printed out a topological map with x's on the anomalies locations. "Shall I prepare anything?"  
  
"Transfer your program to my matrix array. I'll use you out in the field since this is a reconnaissance mission." Aaron sighed and yelled, "Sigma, Moon POWER!!" A behemoth battalion of armour covered his body and he gave Windstrom the reply to transfer.  
  
After a few seconds Windstrom replied, "Transfer complete."  
  
MetaSigma disengaged his armour and returned to his room once more through the only portal that actually could be used. He thought for a second and called someone up on the phone before heading into his room. He looked about on the dresser and found what he was looking for. "Hopefully after the first few failed attempts this time…I got it to work."  
  
After about 15 minutes Schala appeared at the front door, and knocked on the oak door. "Hello? Anybody home? Shane? You there?!" The door opened with an eerie creak, and MetaSigma stood in the doorway with his arms folded. "MetaSigma's here?!" Schala ran into the house calling out for Aaron. She was only 10 or 11 when she first heard about MetaSigma, but her first instinct told her that if Meta was nearby, then something bad must have happened. It seemed to follow him wherever he went. If there was trouble, then most of the time there was Meta. It wasn't like he was the source of all the problems…it was just the fact that there was never any real sort of peace.  
  
Meta laughed and stopped her frantic searching, as she was about to enter the basement. "Settle down Schala! What's the big all fire rush?"  
  
"Shane! Where's Shane!"  
  
"What's wrong? Do you think he's in trouble?"  
  
"Wherever you go there's trouble! What happened to him?! Where is he?!"  
  
"How do you know he's even IN trouble? Why do you associate trouble with him?"  
  
"Wherever he goes, there's trouble to be found."  
  
"I hate that…they are SO damn wrong…since when does being MetaSigma mean that trouble lurks about?!"  
  
Schala hear a voice within the voice that sounded familiar and she looked closer at his eyes. "Hey…wait…Shane?!"  
  
Meta flashed a clean smile, "Great to see you figured it out."  
  
"But…but how?!"  
  
"How? Well, you see, I was…"  
  
"No! I'm saying…how could someone as stupid as you be the greatest crime fighter in history?!"  
  
Meta grit his teeth and growled in the back of his throat. Knowing that kicking her butt would do nothing more than tarnish his image and crush any of the morals he had in him, he turned around and grunted in disapproval of her comment. "Talk about greeting someone with a kind manner!"  
  
Schala opened her mouth to reply but was caught off-guard by his patience at not snapping back at her, as Aaron did. "Wow…you actually can bite your tongue Aaron. Talk about the impossible happening!"  
  
Meta was clearly fighting the insult with passive resistance and simply made a prideful smile. "Perhaps…but I didn't ask you to come over to start talking down upon me…"  
  
Schala tilted her head a bit confused still, "But…why did you…why are you?"  
  
"Showing you my identity?"  
  
Schala nodded as Meta had taken the words from her mouth, "Yeah!"  
  
"Well…I'll just say for now that I might need some back up."  
  
"The mighty MetaSigma? Needing back up?!" she laughed until tears came from her eyes.  
  
Meta pulled out the pen he taken from his room earlier. He held it up to Schala and asked, "Do you recognize this?"  
  
Schala looked at it a bit and squinted her eyes like it was difficult to see. "It looks something like a Sailor Scout pen, but I've never seen that kind of insignia before."  
  
"Insignia?" Meta looked at it closer, "There isn't one…well…not yet anyways."  
  
"Not yet?"  
  
"You're right though. It's a Sailor Scout pen. Would you ever believe I made it though?"  
  
Schala looked at the pen and then at Meta, "No way you could've made this!"  
  
Meta face-faulted and groaned, "Yes Schala, I made this."  
  
"How?"  
  
"Extensive research and days of work."  
  
"Does it work?"  
  
Meta scratched the back of his neck, "Actually, I was hoping to see if you would like to test it. I don't think it's very kosher to have a male using a woman's transformation pen."  
  
"What's the difference? You act like a girl all the time!"  
  
"Schala…" Meta fought every angry thought in his mind and forced out, "Just test the pen please!"  
  
"I don't know…" Schala taunted him grabbing the pen and waving it in a thoughtful manner.  
  
Meta growled and said, "I'm sure girls with a kinder heart would test it." Meta snatched the pen out of her hand and turned around.  
  
"Oh come on Shane! I was only kidding around!"  
  
"Hmm…I don't know…if it works, then you can't tell anyone about your identity, or I'll have to kill you!"  
  
Schala gulped, "K-kill me?!"  
  
Meta laughed, "I'm just kidding Schala, I wouldn't kill you."  
  
Schala kicked him in the leg only hurting her leg. "Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!"  
  
Meta shook his head and handed the pen back to her, "I'm going to be a Sailor Scout!" Schala stopped for a second and asked, "So what's my name?"  
  
"Uh…that's just it. You decide what kind of a Sailor Scout you'll be."  
  
Schala face contemplated nothing of that sentence and she said, "Explain that again to me…in English."  
  
Meta sighed and put his hand to his face. "Ok I'll try. When a Sailor Scout pen is created it has to be given a designation upon the first transformation. Such as…Sailor Mercury's transformation wand, (AN: Original transformations were called pens. Check Manga for details) it began as a pen just like this. Once it was given a designation, the wand changed to accompany the Scout's choice. The same thing happens with all other Scout pens. Attacks go with the designation as well."  
  
Schala's face was more confused than before and Meta shook his head. "Uhh…I still don't get it?" Schala gave a cheesy grin.  
  
Meta face faulted and made a fake cry, "Dear God…"  
  
"Well…am I supposed to make up some name for myself?"  
  
"Yes, you become whatever Sailor you want to be called. So…for instance let's say you want to be Pot Head."  
  
"Pot head?!"  
  
Meta burst out laughing, "Sailor Pot Head!? Your fuku will be made of marijuana leaves!!"  
  
Schala shook her head and said, "That was a really bad joke Shane."  
  
Meta started coughing up phlegm in a gross display and Schala winced at the nasty sight. After Meta had caught his breath he finished, "Oh…that was a good joke…but now, you must kinda have an idea of what I mean."  
  
Schala thought for a second, "Sailor Crystal? No. Sailor…Jaderunner? No. Sailor…"  
  
"How about Diamond cutter?"  
  
"To long…but I do want a name that has a crystal based power."  
  
"Sailor…Mystic Crystal?"  
  
"Mystic Crystal? Hmmm…hey…I like it!" Schala smiled.  
  
"Choice is yours. I think it's pretty good."  
  
Schala took a deep breath and said, "Ok…here goes!" She raised the pen up to the air and yelled, "Mystic Crystal Power…Make-Up!!" A diamond appeared in front of her and flashed a silvery light covering her body with a white skintight suit. A flaming red jewel that wrapped around her raised arms showing her long, white, glowing gloves followed this. A light blue crystal drew ribbons around her legs giving her a pair of glossy, blue high- heel boots that ran up to her knees. A dark green crystal appeared in front of her midsection and she began to turn in a circle. As she turned, a forest green fuku attached itself to her body suit. After the crystal had finished there, it rose up to the center of her breasts and a forest green bow-ribbon appeared in the center. A very dark blue crystal emerged from her forehead and crested the center of a glowing tiara going from ear to ear. "Sailor Soldier of the ancient crystals. I am Sailor Mystic Crystal!" She posed with one arm extended forward and the other going as far as the elbow pit to her other arm. Behind her the four crystals she used to transform gave off a beautiful light according to the color of each crystal.  
  
Meta whistled and said, "Damn…you look hot!"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Uhh…I said how do you feel?"  
  
Crystal moaned a little becoming cognizant of what had just transpired to her body and replied with a small but somewhat fatigued smile, "A little light headed."  
  
"That's to be expected. The first transformation is extremely hard on the body. You'll get used to it though. Just sit down for a few minutes."  
  
Meta helped her to a chair and activated the communication device on his wrist. "Windstrom…are you ready to go?"  
  
"I am as ready as I'll ever be Meta," Windstrom replied.  
  
"Who's Windstrom?" Crystal asked confused.  
  
"He's my computer. I use him whenever I need to scan things, or calculate how to do certain things," Meta replied.  
  
Meta's face suddenly turned to one of remembering something and disengaged his armour. Crystal looked at him confused and asked, "Why did you take your armour off?"  
  
Aaron turned back to her and replied, "It would be a little strange if people saw us in our hero forms riding a motorcycle."  
  
"Why would it be strange? Tuxedo Kamen did it in Sailor Moon all the time!"  
  
Aaron gave her a bland look of stupidity, "Is this Sailor Moon?"  
  
"Well…no…but…"  
  
"Then we do things different than her."  
  
Crystal rolled her eyes, "Fine. So how do I get out of this thing?"  
  
"Think about it for seconds and relax your body."  
  
Crystal shrugged and closed her eyes. After a few seconds she opened them and noticed she was back in her windbreaker jacket and blue jean shorts. She looked about her body and blinked a few times before stating, "Freaky!" She spied the pen in her jeans and noticed it had changed from its dull appearance to a see-through top half. The tip was crested with a sparkling crystal within the loop. "Wow! That's cool!"  
  
Aaron looked at it and nodded. Then he headed to the fridge and pulled out a can of Mountain Dew. After chugging its contents he ripped a righteous belch and said, "Let's go!"  
  
Schala looked at him with disgust and followed him out the front door.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * 


	2. Enter Duran

Reflections of the Past…Enter Duran…  
  
Japan…  
  
"All x-rays reveal nothing is wrong with your head, CAT scans…nothing. They're all coming back negative," Mrs. Mizuno said.  
  
"Hmmm…" Sabin put his hand to his chin.  
  
"Were you experiencing any pain during this hallucination? Did anything feel out of the ordinary?"  
  
"No…it was as if I was actually there. I felt no pain, nothing out of the ordinary."  
  
"You know many drugs can cause a hallucination that real, and can dull us to anything around us."  
  
"I don't take any medication nor do I take drugs."  
  
"It might have been something you ate lately. A substance in food that you might have allergic reactions too."  
  
"But would it show up that late? I hadn't had a thing to eat in nearly 4 hours."  
  
"It's possible that effects were delayed to a point where you had to be nearly asleep."  
  
"Very strange." Sabin hopped off the cushioned table and thanked Mrs. Mizuno properly.  
  
Sabin returned to his girlfriend Rei who asked immediately, "So what's the news?"  
  
"We couldn't reach a clear conclusion. It might have been a delayed allergic reaction."  
  
Rei hugged him, "All right, do you know that I love you?"  
  
Sabin smiled back warmly, "I love you too." Sabin started forward and suddenly went blank falling over like a dead body. Rei screamed for a doctor and the secretary called for a stretcher.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
US…  
  
Schala screamed as Aaron swerved in and out of traffic. "Aaron! You're gonna get us KILLED!! Slow the fuck DOWN!!"  
  
After a few seconds Aaron stopped the bike and put the kickstand down. "We're at the first stop."  
  
Schala jumped off the bike and started puking in the weeds. "You are a HORRIBLE driver!" She gave him an angry look and screamed, "Aaron! Are you even listening?!"  
  
Aaron started his laptop up and connected a little antenna to the side. "Windstrom…can you get a better scan of the breach in this area?"  
  
"I am locating the exact area of where the breach is. About 15 meters to the north," Windstrom replied.  
  
Aaron walked back until he found the small softball sized rapture. "Well I'll be…"  
  
"I have also located a point through the breach. It appears to be a storage unit of some kind."  
  
"Can you determine the precise dimension it is in?"  
  
"Attempting…please wait a moment."  
  
Schala walked over to where Aaron was and screamed, "Did…you…hear…me?!"  
  
Aaron covered her mouth and replied, "Lower your voice woman!"  
  
Schala shook free and yelled, "Listen up when I'm talking to you idiot, and don't you EVER call me WOMAN!!"  
  
"Schala! Lower your damn voice!!"  
  
Windstrom make a few beeps and replied, "I am unable to attain which dimension this is breach is located in."  
  
Aaron swore and said, "Is it possible to expand the rapture with energy from my armour to get a better scan?"  
  
"Although it is possible, I would advise against such a rash decision. We have no idea what is behind this breach, and making it too big may allow things to go both ways causing serious problems."  
  
"Can you open a portal to the point we've mapped?"  
  
"I'm afraid I can't. I suggest that before we make an attempt to enter this new dimension, that we get a more thorough scan of the other 12 breaches. This may give us a bigger amount of insight on what could be causing these raptures."  
  
"Perhaps…"  
  
"It would be better to know what the other breaches contain rather than jump in blindly," Schala said.  
  
Aaron thought for a second and said, "You're right…it would be bad to rush into something unknown with a rookie."  
  
Schala took her hand and flung her slightly longer than shoulder length hair stating, "You're right I'm right…"  
  
Aaron sighed and said shaking his head, "Let's go to the next breach."  
  
Schala's stomach tightened and she moaned slowly making her way back to the hog. Aaron fired-up the bike and Schala moaned into the microphone in her helmet, "Please don't go to-."  
  
Aaron kicked the bike into gear and gunned it out of the field. He hit the highway and kicked it into a higher gear. "I'ld slow down Schala…but at this time it's best to find these things out ASAP!" Aaron said into his mic over the purr of the engine.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Japan…  
  
Rei and Usagi were in the waiting room awaiting the news about their friend Sabin. "Rei-chan…quit pacing, or you'll get sick yourself!"  
  
Rei snapped back sharply, "How do you-!!"  
  
Usagi was half-scared to death at how quickly Rei had snapped back at her, "You're so heartless Rei…"  
  
Rei put a hand to her head and slumped into a chair replying more friendly, "Sorry about that Usagi-chan…I'm just very worried about him."  
  
Usagi slowly made her way back from her cowering position and nodded, "I understand. I guess I was just so taken at how quickly you had snapped at me. I at least expected to finish my sentence."  
  
Rei looked up at Usagi's friendly smile and tried to produce one of her own. It was rather difficult, but she managed at least a half smile. The door to the waiting room opened and a tall man with short black hair appeared. Rei seemed surprised to see him and said in a shocked voice, "Mamoru-san!"  
  
"How is Sabin?" he said sitting in a chair next to Usagi who instantly clung to him.  
  
A scream was hear from behind the patient doors before Rei could bring out a reply, and people started running out of the hospital in fear for their lives. A wave of darkness hit Rei and her ESP twitched at the feeling. "I sense…and evil presence in this hospital…Usagi-chan!"  
  
Usagi nodded and ran into the bathroom. "I'll go ahead!" Mamoru said running through the swinging doors that lead to the patient rooms.  
  
Rei ran into the bathroom as well and transformed with Usagi. Usagi pulled out her locket and yelled, "Moon Eternal…Make-Up!!"  
  
Rei held up her transformation wand and yelled, "Mars Crystal Power…Make- Up!!"  
  
After a few seconds Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars exited the bathroom now in their battle fukus'. They slowly went through the swinging door to the now barren rooms where patients were situated during their tenure at the hospital. "Ami-chan, Mako-chan, Minako-chan! Trouble at the hospital! Transform and get over here ASAP!"  
  
Mars looked around and said after fully inspecting all the rooms, "This floor is clean, let's head up to the next floor."  
  
"Why don't we split up so we can cover more ground. If anything happens we'll be in close contact."  
  
Mars looked at her for a few seconds and nodded, "Good idea. I'll take the upper levels." Sailor Moon nodded and watched as Mars disappeared up the sets of stairs to the upper rooms.  
  
"Well, I didn't think you'ld actually split up. I guess I lost money on that bet!" an evil yet smoothly sounding voice cut into the silence.  
  
"Yoma!"  
  
"Yoma? What's a yoma? Some kind of snack food?"  
  
"Don't play dumb games with me evil creature! I know you're there!"  
  
The grotesque creature appeared out of one of the patient rooms and snorted. He wore a maroon buray on his head, and a massive suit of pressurized power armour encased his muscular body. A gun perhaps the same size as his own body was held upright in his left hand facing the ceiling. "Are you sure you want fight me now that I've exposed myself?"  
  
Sailor Moon looked terrified beyond anything she had ever felt or seen in her life. She stuttered out, "Wh-who…are y-you?! WHAT are you!?"  
  
The near-human creature laughed and replied, "I am as you see me…a human."  
  
"No human would have a voice that warped!"  
  
"I am a human however…there is no doubt about it, but as for my name…you can call me Duran…" He lowered his gun to Sailor Moon's face level aimed it at her. He fired a grenade canister forcing Sailor Moon to duck and jump out of the way. The explosion of the grenade hitting the wall blew away the entire area where she had been. "That was the first setting little girl." Sailor Moon was scared out of her mind. Here in front of here was a psycho that for the most part just did nothing within the range of any of the yomas she had ever faced. What could she do? This was a hospital. There were still people in beds for crying out loud! They had to watch helplessly!" Duran looked on the side of his gun and pushed a small switch near the trigger. His voice fluttered in a whisper, "Run!" He pulled the trigger and Sailor Moon scrambled away as fast as she could. The gun hummed storing energy near the end of the barrel. Sailor Moon scampered down the hall to the stairs for the next floor. A few meters from the stairs Duran suddenly phased out from his position behind her and suddenly appeared in front of her with the end of the gun pointed directly in her face. She ducked instantly right as the gun discharged the energy blast. The energy rushed to the other end of the hall and fragged half the area instantly. "That was the second setting." Duran grinned and lowered the rifle barrel to Sailor Moon's face. "Now…which setting do you prefer to die on?"  
  
"How about you just take back those words and suck on them bastard!" A voice said from the area that was just fragged. "Supreme Thunder!!" A jolt of lightning crashed against the rifle shorting out its use.  
  
Sailor Moon looked behind and said with scared happiness in her voice, "Mina!" (AN: Mina means everything or all in Jap)  
  
"Sorry we're late Sailor Moon!" Sailor Chibi-Moon said, "But someone forgot to inform someone!"  
  
Duran gave a sly, narrow-eyed grin and said grabbing his rifle, "We will finish this another day girls! My work here is far from over…but I will finish soon." Duran phased out once more and supposedly left the building.  
  
Sailor Moon's friends converged on her fragile position on the floor and Venus asked her, "Are you all right?"  
  
Sailor Moon nodded shaking a little, "Yeah…no bumps or bruises."  
  
Sailor Mars burst through the door to the stairs and said, "Sabin is doing fine. He's still up on the 4th floor recovering."  
  
"I'm afraid it's not that simple Mars. Sabin was injected with something, but I'm not sure what," a familiar voice said.  
  
Sailor Moon from her somewhat stunned stupor, and Chibi-Moon both said in unison like a song, "Tuxedo Kamen-sama!"  
  
"He was injected?" Mercury was curious.  
  
"From what I could gather. There was some tampering with the equipment, and the IV had been injected with something else."  
  
"Is it life threatening?"  
  
"No…I don't know what it is, but rest assured it can't be good."  
  
"Then we'll just have to keep a close eye on Sabin for a while."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * 


	3. A Mother's Unlikely Visit

Reflections of the Past…A Mother's Unlikely Visit…  
  
US…  
  
"SHANE!!" Schala screamed as Aaron swerved in and out of traffic.  
  
"Schala! You don't have to scream over the mic!" Aaron replied gritting his teeth from the pain ringing his eardrums.  
  
"SLOW DOWN!!!"  
  
Aaron growled and took the bike off to the roadside enraged. "Get off Schala!"  
  
Schala looked taken back by his sudden outburst of anger and said stuttering, "Get…get off?"  
  
Aaron's face was red as a beet and his teeth looked like they could crush a mountain range. "I have put up with your yelling, and whining, and bitching for the past hour! I've had enough of it! Get off!"  
  
Schala's face turned somewhat shadowed and she said restraining the tears, "I'm…"  
  
"What…Sorry?! Schala this isn't a damn game! I've tried to tell that God knows how many times! I can't sit back and be a lax bastard when these things could cause hell!!"  
  
Schala looked at the ground completely covering her face and the tears were felt on her face slowly moving down her cheeks. "I…I know it's urgent…it's just…just…"  
  
Aaron's temper could still be heard in his voice, "Just what!?"  
  
"My parents…they were killed in a motorcycle accident 2 years ago." She turned her head away and cried like the impact had hit her for the first time.  
  
Aaron gulped and thought, "Smooth move dumb-ass. You just brought out a memory that she laid to rest. Some hero you are." Aaron's face still had it's hard exterior and he said turning away, "I'm sorry…" his voice trailed off, but it sounded more genuine than she had ever heard from him before.  
  
Schala looked back over at his tensed figure with red, tear stained eyes and said somewhat shocked, "You're…apologizing?"  
  
Aaron bit his tongue and said, "I know what it's like to lose your parents…I lost my mother when I was young, and my father…well…I never really found out who my read dad was."  
  
"So you're an orphan?"  
  
"No, but it's rather confusing to explain everything right now. After we get done with this, I'll explain what I mean…hopefully."  
  
Schala wiped the remaining liquid from her eyes and nodded, "Ok."  
  
Aaron returned to the bike and refastened his helmet and gloves. "I'll quit swerving in and out of traffic but I won't make a guarantee about the speed." Schala nodded and reapplied her helmet and gloves. She hopped onto the back of the bike and for the first time thought about Aaron in a different light. She did have feelings for him earlier, but this was the first time that it was clear that he actually cared for her back. It was a rather rash and harsh way, but the way his body felt as she held on gave her a slight impression. Aaron asked her over the mic, "Ready?"  
  
Schala nodded up and down on his back and said, "Yeah…*Sniff* I'm ready." Aaron kicked the bike alive again and took it back onto the highway. Slowly gearing the bike back up to speed he pushed a button the side of the gas handle and turned the bike up to high gear instantly. Schala clung to his back and thought, "I'm rather curious if he loves me or not. He cares for me, but it could he's only doing that because he's MetaSigma. I wonder if he has real feelings for me."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Japan…  
  
"I found something important," Mamoru said as he and Usagi were walking down the street together. It was the usual display of Usagi clinging onto Mamoru's arm like a lost puppy, but of course Mamoru didn't mind much.  
  
"Oh?" Usagi looked up from her usual position of her head on his arm.  
  
"Rei said his body now has a warped aura around him. Something in the solution might have disrupted his life force and caused it."  
  
"Do you know exactly what it was that was put into the IV?"  
  
Mamoru shook his head, "No. My guess is as good as the next but at least he's been released from the hospital. Good thing too…food there is worse than your cooking!"  
  
Usagi looked at Mamoru with disgusted eyes and said, "What are you implying about my cooking…Mamo-chan."  
  
Mamoru's eye twitched at the sight of her flat eyes and he stuttered out, "Usako I was just saying the food in the hospital was bad! Nothing more!"  
  
Usagi's voice was flat and she replied, "So why did you throw in the comment about my cooking…you have to remember…you're going to be eating my cooking when we get married."  
  
Mamoru returned to his mask of coolness and said, "You're cooking isn't bad Usako…"  
  
Usagi's face brightened and she said, "Really? Mamo-chan?"  
  
Mamoru nodded, but a sweat drop appeared on the side of his head. "She could use a few courses on cooking however," Mamoru thought. The two of them continued on toward their destination that day. The Hino Temple where the others were waiting for them supposedly.  
  
Hino Temple…  
  
"Hey!" Mamoru waved with his free arm to the girls sitting on the interior temple steps. (Not those long ones that lead up to the thing. The ones they usually sit at when the Senshi talk about things)  
  
"Mamoru-san!" Rei said waving back and looking at her watch, "I expected Usagi to be late, but you?"  
  
"Rei-chan! What is the meaning of slandering Mamo-chan! He came to pick me up after class! How could you be so heartless?" Usagi started her patented crying that was reflective of her personality.  
  
"Usagi-chan! Please! Stop crying! Rei-chan was just concerned for you!" Makoto said grinning like an idiot.  
  
Usagi turned the waterworks down and said with a slight cracking voice, "Why must Rei-chan speak so heartlessly to me?"  
  
Mamoru sighed and said with a hint of comedy, "Usako."  
  
Usagi looked around and noticed that Sabin and Chibi-Usa still were missing. "Where are Chibi-Usa-chan and Sabin?"  
  
"They haven't arrived yet. I find it rather odd, but maybe they just ran into some traffic on the way," Minako tried to say as confidently as possible.  
  
"Should we try them on the communicator?" Makoto pondered.  
  
Rei thought for a moment and responded, "No, let's just start the meeting without them. I'm sure they'll be coming up the steps any minute."  
  
Mamoru sighed and said, "I'll make this simple and straight to the point. Rei felt a shift in Sabin's aura. Both of us have reason to believe it has something to do with the substance that was injected into his body. Now what that substance is…no one has any idea. Doctors studied the IV that Sabin had and found no traces of any substance other than the supplements of the IV. The IV WAS tampered with, but whatever was interjected during the drip was unknown."  
  
"What about that weird creature that we saw at the hospital?" Ami asked.  
  
"Duran…" the hair on Usagi's skin raised and she shivered at the sound of the name.  
  
"Duran?" Ami repeated.  
  
"Usako?" Mamoru felt her body shiver a little.  
  
Usagi huddled closer to Mamoru and said, "That name…just sends chills through out my body. It sounds like a virus spreading disease everywhere." Usagi's communicator went off and she quickly cleansed her mind of the fear replying to the chiming. "Chibi-Usa-chan?"  
  
"Usagi-chan! We need your help at Juuzyu bakery! Some crazy person named Duran is doing something to one of the customers!"  
  
Duran…the name struck into Usagi like a knife cutting her heart. The fear in her body reappeared and she shivered again like a frozen animal. "D…Duran…"  
  
"Usako…" Mamoru said hugging her trying to warm the courage in her mind. "Don't let it get to you. None of us will let anything happen to you. Remember…we're all here with you."  
  
"Please Usagi-chan! Zerto can't hold out much longer, and I can't do a thing against him!" Chibi-Usa said in a dire voice.  
  
"Chibi-Usa! RUN!!" Zerto was heard over the communicator. A giant blast was heard, and then only static.  
  
"Chibi-Usa!!" Usagi yelled.  
  
"Usagi-chan! Come on! We have to help her!" Minako said.  
  
Usagi's expression was still fearful, she gathered her courage as best she could and said forcing her voice to lead, "Let's go."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
US…  
  
"What is the current state of the portals?" Aaron asked.  
  
"Calculating…" Windstrom replied.  
  
Aaron sighed and put his hands back to his face pushing his hair back. "You're going to have a baby sister. She'll be here in a couple of months. Aren't you happy?" Aaron jerked his head up and looked around before realizing his mind was replaying memories of the past. "That's where it all began…so long ago…" *Flashback*  
  
"You're going to have a baby sister. She'll be here in a couple of months. Aren't you happy?"  
  
"Oh. I have a question mama…will I ever have the throne?"  
  
Queen Serenity laughed and told him, "You will…someday." *Another part of Flashback*  
  
"Aaron! Time to eat dear! Aaron!" Queen Serenity yelled out.  
  
The room to Aaron's room remained tightly shut. Little Princess Serenity called out in her year old voice, "Ewan!" Of course she was only mimicking her mother and had no idea who Aaron was. *Another part of Flashback*  
  
"Happy birthday my little Princess!" Queen Serenity smiled. "You're six years old!"  
  
"Happy birthday Princess!" Princess Serenity's court cheered. Aaron watched the whole party hidden from view and could feel a tear hit his eye. "Another part of flashback*  
  
"Hey mom…" Princess Serenity now at the age of 11 asked her mother, "who was that Aaron person you kept calling for when I was younger?"  
  
"He was…a friend of mine." That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Aaron had heard his mother call him nothing more than a friend. It took his entire faith out of the royal family. *Another part of flashback*  
  
"You snuck off to Earth again?!" Mars scolded the young princess.  
  
"As the only child of Queen Serenity it's your job to prepare yourself for the day you take the throne!" Mercury said with a massive book huddled under her arm. Aaron could feel his entire personality changing with each passing comment they made; A friend, only child of Queen Serenity, what next? The kingdom falling to evil? Aaron knew however that evil would sometime take over the kingdom, and he vowed to let the people of the moon get what was coming to them for disavowing him as an heir to the throne. *Another part of flashback*  
  
"Everyone! You've got to get out of here! Queen Beryl's forces are overrunning the guards!" Queen Serenity screamed rushing down the pillar halls leading to the exit. She stopped suddenly and turned to face one of the few people remaining in that area. Her face turned to sudden shock when she recognized him as, "Aaron…"  
  
"13 years have passed…and you call me nothing more…than a friend. You simply call me a friend and my name is never heard of again." A few shots were heard hitting the ground some distance away keeping the silence between Queen Serenity and her son.  
  
"Aaron…I thought you were…dead. I didn't hear from you, see you…anything!!"  
  
Aaron simply smiled and said with a hint of pride creeping into his voice, "Ironically enough…I am dead." Aaron screamed out, "Sigma Moon POWER!!" A few seconds later Aaron was encased in a massive suit of navy armour.  
  
"Aaron?" Queen Serenity seemed more afraid of what Aaron had become than the threat of her kingdom crumbling under her.  
  
"Go and save your kingdom mother…but make no mention of my name if the day ever arises where you must make my little sister remember her past. When I feel the time is right…I'll make myself known." The massive figure of armour and power turned in the opposite direction and started to head off.  
  
"Aaron-!"  
  
Aaron stopped and turned suddenly cutting his mother's words off and said in a voice somewhat frozen and cursed, "My name isn't Aaron when I'm donning this armour of honor. It's MetaSigma…" Aaron turned back and continued down the somewhat darkened hall. *Another part of flashback*  
  
"And so it came to pass…" Aaron said putting the last stone around his mother's grave.  
  
"Are you sure you want to live with the memories of all this torment?" Pluto looked at Aaron as he sighed.  
  
Aaron stared at the grave and replied, "Yes…my memories will serve as the catalyst as to why I should fight. To ensure something like this doesn't happen ever again."  
  
Pluto nodded and raised her staff. The gates of time began to open flooding the dull area with colors that delighted all the senses. *Another part of flashback*  
  
"Princess, I want you to meet your new uncle," Neo Queen Serenity said to her year old daughter.  
  
The Princess smiled and hugged in saying in a kawaii voice, "Hewwo!" *Another part of flashback*  
  
"Where are you going?" The six-year-old Princess asked as Aaron packed his things up frivolously.  
  
"I've decided to leave…I'm old enough to take care of myself."  
  
"But…what about mama and papa?!"  
  
Aaron smiled warmly and said, "One day…I hope I can tell you everything…but for now…I'll go on good terms."  
  
Chibi-Usa ran over and clung to his side begging with tears in her voice, "Please…stay here…don't leave!"  
  
Aaron put his hand on her back and kneeled so they were face level with each other. He sighed and said into her cloudy red eyes, "Chibi-Usa- chan…don't think I'm actually saying goodbye forever…just think of it…as see you soon." He kissed her forehead and left her alone in his room. *Another part of flashback*  
  
"Make sure I can't remember my past…ever…I don't want to live with guilt my whole life," Aaron said to Pluto.  
  
"Are you sure you want to throw away this life you have now? Are you sure you want to destroy all the memories that you've had?" Pluto asked with concern in her voice.  
  
"Yes, I thought that the thought of repeating what happened on the Moon Kingdom would only make me more sure of myself…but…all it did was slowly make me more and more bitter. I am not ready to face my past. So I want to erase it."  
  
Pluto sighed and nodded. "I can't completely destroy all your memories…but I can block them within your mind. When you are reborn you won't remember anything about your past…but…there might be events that happen that might feel like déjà vu to you."  
  
"If that's all…then let's get it over with." *End Flashback*  
  
"That happened…18 years ago."  
  
"Aaron…"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Aaron," Windstrom repeated.  
  
"Oh…sorry about that Windstrom."  
  
"It appears that the portals have taken something unknown by any standard that I have ever seen in a space/time shift. They are all moving somewhere."  
  
"Are you saying…as in expanding moving? Or as in…actual moving of the rip?"  
  
"The portal is moving its very coordinates to a different location. Thus the portals are moving."  
  
"Do you know where they are moving too?"  
  
"Unknown at this point in time. Because of the erratic nature of these portals, I cannot give a determination as to where they are heading to."  
  
"Most strange."  
  
"I may have a thesis however."  
  
"I'm all ears Windstrom."  
  
"What if…zzzttzzz…"  
  
"Windstrom!" A few seconds later the lights in Aaron's house went out leaving the house in an eerie ominous feeling. Aaron quickly engaged his armour and turned the lights on his wrist on much like the use of a flashlight. He shut the laptop that he had been using to communicate with Windstrom and slowly made his way out of his room. "Why didn't the back-up generators kick in?" Meta thought pointing his charged weapon around the corner leading into the living room. Cautiously Meta moved over the windows to check whether the whole block was out, or if it was just his house feeling the power drain. The picture beyond the windows revealed it was indeed the whole block was without power. This comforted Meta somewhat as he realized that there was less of a chance for danger at that moment. A sudden instinct made him turn around and face someone who had slipped into the house. "Mom?" Meta said with great shock in his voice.  
  
"Hello…my little Prince…" Queen Serenity smiled warmly through the dark.  
  
"What are you doing here?"  
  
Queen Serenity practically ignored the question and said with her gratuitous manner, "I see you've matured into a fine young man. Is there any girl that has stolen your heart yet?"  
  
Meta simply made a disgruntled moan and said completely changing the subject, "Either tell me what's going on, or get out."  
  
Queen Serenity sighed and replied, "I see you're still a bitter person."  
  
Meta simply made a quiet growl and replied, "It just depends on who I'm talking to."  
  
"I'm sorry you still favor resentment about your past, but I'm not here to talk to you about that. I'm here to talk to you about Magitack."  
  
Meta's eyes grew a little bigger than usual. "Magitack? But…he's dead!"  
  
"I'm afraid your wrong my son…he's up and kicking as we speak now. Implementing his plan to regain the use of his metallic shell I'm guessing."  
  
"Magitack…his army was very strong. I had a lot of difficulty getting through most of his yomas. Lucky for Serenity's court she had the weakest ones as I healed. Or else your entire kingdom would have been doomed.  
  
"You still can't give her court any credit can you…"  
  
"Don't start with me mother…I'm not your little boy anymore," Meta said pointing the end of the gun in Queen Serenity's direction.  
  
"You would point a loaded weapon at your mother?!"  
  
Meta slowly put the weapon down to his side and said, "I wouldn't fire…unless it demanded to be done…but enough of you stabbing me with pointless chat…I want to know what's going on with Magitack!"  
  
"It appears that Magitack has been the one cause these openings in space/time. Pluto can't seem to close them, as they are unresponsive to her command. We have also found the reason why they won't close. Magitack has hired a mercenary named Duran to put something into 13 different humans."  
  
"The thirteen portals. Are you telling me he's using their own life force to keep them open!?"  
  
Queen Serenity nodded, "I'm afraid so. What he plans on doing other than retrieving his armour is beyond me. I don't know how he plans on doing it, but at any rate…we need to know more. Because Pluto is now off doing other duties to keep this universe safe, I now trust guard the investigation to you. I'll also jump Luna over to you so she can help you out."  
  
"Uh…mom…you can't get her over here…portal use is gone. I K-put it…as in seeya later alligator!"  
  
"I don't plan on attempting to use a portal. I'm going to do a direct transport."  
  
Meta laughed, "Mom! There's no way in hell that's gonna work!"  
  
Queen Serenity winked and said, "Your mother still has a few tricks up her sleeve."  
  
Meta still laughed as she began and still implied, "It won't work!" The image of Queen Serenity flickered out and the house was darkened once more by the absence of power. A few seconds after the phasing of the Queen, a light appeared gleaming a ball encased with a black cat. Meta's laughing dropped off a cliff and he said with a hint of surprise, "Well, I'll be damned!"  
  
The ball hovered to the ground and disappeared leaving the little critter to squirm a little from its dramatic voyage. After a few scant seconds the power to the house returned and Windstrom bleeped, "Power has been cut off to the house…"  
  
Meta groaned, "Windstrom…you're a little late there buddy. Everything is fine again."  
  
"I understand Aaron."  
  
The little black cat made a few more stirs and meowed lightly. Meta disengaged his armour and picked the cat up like a newborn baby. The cat said in a hushed but quizzing voice, "Usagi-chan?"  
  
Luna opened her eyes to the face of someone she hadn't seen before…or could remember anyways. She hissed suddenly and attacked Aaron before he could react. "What the fu-?!" The cat hissed and clawed like its life was in grave danger and Aaron swore every word and then some from every swipe he took. Eventually he was able to mouth out the words, "God…damnit…Luna! It's…me Aaron!!"  
  
Luna stopped for a second and saw she was indeed clawing about the face of Aaron. Instead of apologizing she asked like she was the boss, "Where the hell am I?"  
  
"You're in my house in another dimension."  
  
"But…how did I get past the portal barriers?"  
  
"Queen Serenity has a few tricks to play still I guess. She has orders for you to assist me in investigating this bizarre thing going on."  
  
"If orders came from Queen Serenity then I am ever the vigilant and ready cat."  
  
Aaron rolled his eyes said, "Right…" Thereafter, he got back to his feet and motioned the cat to follow him. "Considering it's near midnight, and I have a long next few days ahead of me, I suggest we get some sleep. Since that's all you do to begin with hell, I don't even know why I'm telling you." Aaron turned his head and felt a sharp biting pain tear into his ankle. "Son of a-! Luna you do that again and I SWEAR I'll kill you!"  
  
Luna simply made a smile daring him to follow through with his comment and said, "Where have I heard that before."  
  
Aaron growled and knew that beating the living hell out of a helpless cat would do nothing more than tarnish his image. He had more respect to maintain than that. He simply laughed and continued into his room. "This is my room, one thing…stay the hell off…" Luna jumped up onto his bed and Aaron freak out, "SON OF A BITCH! LUNA GET OFF THE DAMN BED!!!" Luna stretched her claws out and Aaron grabbed her before she could do anything other than claw the hell out of his arms. "Luna!!! It's a damn waterbed! Your claws could break the bladder, and those damn things cause nearly a hundred dollars!"  
  
Luna smirked and asked, "Why didn't you tell me before hand?"  
  
Aaron could feel the welt on his neck growing but he simply set the cat down kindly and said, "One moment Luna…oh…stay off the bed…OK?" Aaron walked out to the back porch and engaged his armour before screaming words that would create the effect of a blushing sailor and fired nearly a quarter of thousand shots in rapid succession from his Sigma-Buster.  
  
Luna jumped and covered his head like the ceiling was going to fall, and waited from Aaron to return from his self-therapy. When he returned, he seemed much more calm and relaxed than before. Luna questioned somewhat scared, "Are…are you…d-d-d done venting your anger?"  
  
Aaron nodded, "Just…please…don't piss me off…I'm very tired, and it's only adding to my outbursts of anger." Luna nodded quickly and lay on the floor afraid to set foot on the bed again. Aaron rummaged through the closet and obtained a blanket that was somewhat beat up but overall useable. "Here you go Luna," Aaron said laying the thing near the end of his waterbed. "Just…don't claw to hard please…I'll leave my window open a little just in case you decide to use the restroom or need to scratch your claws. If you do the trees outside can assist you. Tomorrow I'll have to talk to Rydian about how to handle a cat…cause I have no damn clue." Luna hoped up onto the blanket and stretched out showing her claws. Aaron slipped on his sleep clothes and turned the lights off. He slipped into bed and set his alarm considering he had to work the next day. *Yes this is a late development, but Aaron does have a job. You'll hear more about it in the next book, so stay tuned!* 


	4. The Wait is Over

1  
  
2 Reflections of the Past…The Wait is Over…  
  
Japan…  
  
"That's the tenth person he's gone after…and every single time all he seems to do is leave before he does after real harm. It's like…a decoy you could say," Artemis said gracefully walking back and forth still showing the concern cross his voice.  
  
"Do you know what the real objective is for him then?" Ami asked in her calm relaxed manner.  
  
"I couldn't tell you anything about this guy. He appears and disappears so quickly that I've been unable to gather anything about him. Luna said she might have a lead, but I haven't heard, or seen her in nearly a day, so now I'm somewhat worried."  
  
"What about the people he's gone after. Do they have any relation to each other?" Makoto asked.  
  
"I have no idea what his pattern is with who he's going after. I ran some tests on Sabin and made a few cross-references with the Moon's old database and found nothing. All it seems is that his body is being drained of his energy, but so minute that when he sleeps he regenerates it back."  
  
"So Sabin is like a constant battery," Usagi said.  
  
"Actually Usagi-chan, everyone is a constant battery. We all expand energy and through the process of REM sleep we regenerate the lost energy like a recharger. The only difference is that Sabin's battery is acting differently and therefore causing the drain."  
  
"To bad Shane isn't here. I'm sure he could figure out what the hell is going on here," Sabin said getting up off the floor and exiting the room a bit upset.  
  
"Aaron!" Chibi-Usa said getting up to try and stop him.  
  
"Chibi-Usa…" Rei stopped her, "Let me talk to him." Chibi-Usa looked at Rei and nodded slowly. Rei smiled and walked outside in her temple attire catching Sabin punching a tree and growling out a quiet swear word with every punch. "Come on now, I don't think my grandpa would enjoy seeing a tree uprooted and see the cuts and bruised on your hands. He'ld kick you out for sure!"  
  
Sabin took another mighty swing at the tree and stopped mere millimeters from the bark. He sighed and dropped his hand and said in a dejected voice, "You're right."  
  
Rei stepped closer and put her hand on his shoulder, "Come on. Everyone is worried about you, and they do wish Aaron is still alive." Sabin clinched his fist and could feel the warm tears trying to create small pools in his eyes, but he fought them with every ounce of fight in his body and simply made a slight sniffle.  
  
"It's not that I miss Shane, I really do miss the guy, it's just…he had no cares about his own life. He cared for everyone and asked for nothing in return. It didn't matter to him if he was on the verge of death, he would sacrifice himself if it meant saving a few people. If someone were dying, he would do whatever he could to keep you going. His life meant nothing to him, and…I really couldn't understand why he would throw away his own life time and time again."  
  
"Sabin…"  
  
"But…when I found out about his past. I started thinking…could it be because there was something deep inside him that reminded him of what he was. Or what happened to him when he didn't know about his past? Could he still harbor such resentment about what happened that it was still in him? He didn't know…and yet…he knew." Sabin tried to laugh and seemed to cough instead, "It's so difficult to understand who he really is, and what his intentions are. I want to be the best friend I can and help him, but…I don't know enough to make a good friend."  
  
Rei became a bit upset and slapped him across the face. "Listen to me Sabin Langford. If you weren't a good friend, then he would have been dead a long time ago. You may not understand someone, but that does NOT make you someone you aren't. There are still times and I wonder about Usagi-chan, she's slow, clumsy, stupid, and just plain lovesick most of the time, BUT…there are times I wonder about her more than she is. I wonder how someone with a caliber that low in my book could have a child who is so full of life, responsibility and love. Who could care for everyone and everything at the cost of her own life. I don't have to understand her in order to understand her reasons. It's her life, and she wants others to enjoy theirs before her own. It's not selfish and there is no need to analyze it! I may not know her well enough, but I am her friend and she is mine just as much. Don't you EVER think that you weren't a good friend. You were the BEST-damned friend he ever had! Don't you EVER forget that!" Sabin was in complete awe at the speech Rei had just blurted out, but he felt the warm skin on his face where she had slapped him and broke out with a smile that was more common to his face.  
  
"Rei…I'm…"  
  
Rei's smile returned to his beautiful and peaceful nature and she put her index finger to his lips. "Don't…I know you are, and I want you to know that I may not understand you well enough, but I love you for the person you are and the person you aspire to be."  
  
There faces grew closer slowly and their heartbeats started to beat in complete sync. It was like the first time they had met in the warehouse. Everything around them was oblivious to this moment of romance. Slowly, their lips grew ever closer and their heads tilted to meet each other's warmth. Their lips closed the gap and they kissed like it was the last time they would ever see each other. The night air was warm and slowly Sabin removed his shirt revealing his muscular chest.  
  
Usagi looked around for Sabin and Rei, and noticed they were engaged in a romantic moment. Usagi's first instinct was to interfere and try to make it better, but…she gave it a few seconds thought and that she shouldn't interfere in something this important. She understood how Rei must feel if she would do something like this and smiled whispering, "I'm glad you have true love Rei-chan." With these sweet parting words Usagi slipped back out of whence she came and returned to the room where the Scouts meets took place regularly.  
  
Sabin and Rei were on the ground looking up at the bright twinkling stars and Rei had her head rested comfortably on Sabin's manly chest. (Yes manly.) "You know…when I first got here…I thought that my foolish fantasy of loving you would only make myself feel stupid, but…ever since that moment we laid eyes on each other, my fantasy suddenly ended and I didn't care about the end result. I just wanted you with me. I wanted you to be the one I wake up to every morning and fall asleep with every night. I…love you…Hino Rei." The moon was shining brightly like it's light was a beacon of joy for these two love birds.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
US…  
  
"Wake up Shane!" Schala rocked Aaron in his sleep.  
  
Aaron mumbled something before he said with legible sound, "Go away…  
  
Schala frowned slightly and reared her leg. She thrust it forward with a good amount of force behind it, and kicked Aaron in the right leg saying, "Get up!"  
  
Aaron felt the jolt and his eyes popped open as he yelled, "What the HELL did you do that for?!" He spied his clock and noticed that it was only 9:00 in the morning. "I have to work at 1 so let me get some sleep!"  
  
Schala made lazy eyes and simply shook her head with the words, "You really have to get to bed earlier."  
  
Aaron growled and considered the thought of yelling at her with his full anger, but…he knew that it would only be for nil and he wasn't going to be the evil, sinister villain of this scenario. He relaxed a little and said trying to smile as sincere as he could, "Please…just let me get some more sleep. I really need to get some rest before I head to work, and if you kick me again, I will SO kick your ass!"  
  
He returned his head to his pillow and turned his body away from Schala. He took a few relaxed breaths and snuggled his head into the pillow. A few seconds later Aaron felt another jolt hit him in the back with more force than before and he sprang from his bed unable to contain the anger he was feeling. "I said get UP Shane!"  
  
Aaron growled, closed his eyes, and ripped a punch across Schala's face that split her lip open. "YOU ARE NOT MY GOD DAMN MOTHER!!" He yelled with rampage crushing her nose with a shot. "You have no IDEA-!" he stopped his fist inches from her scared face and suddenly became aware of what he had just done. Schala was shivering in fright while her nose and lip bleed somewhat profusely. His breathing was heavy and he was completely shocked at his sudden outburst of raw power stuttering, "I…Schala…I…"  
  
Schala ran away as fast as she could crying madly at how her friend had treated her. Luna ran into Aaron's room and noticed Aaron's face was drenched with sweat. She asked Aaron, "What just happened?!"  
  
Aaron's hard breaths gave way to his reply and he said in fright, "I…I punched Schala…twice."  
  
Luna screamed, "WHAT?!! WHY the HELL would you punch an innocent girl?! Are you insane or something?!"  
  
Aaron shook his head embarrassed and at the same time ashamed of his actions and could simply reply, "I…I don't know. I was just…suddenly consumed…by rage."  
  
"Aaron! That's not an excuse! Hitting a girl is the worst!!"  
  
Aaron clinched his bloody hand into a fist and punched a wall screaming as loud as his chords could vibrate, "SON OF A BITCH!!!!!"  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Japan…  
  
Rei was working on the chores that she had and Sabin came up behind her quietly. She was oblivious to her surroundings, but something inside her felt like someone was sneaking up on her. She couldn't tell who it was, so using her best intuition just as Sabin was about to cover her eyes in a playful manner; she whirled around and thwacked him with the broom before he could react. When she realized that it was Sabin she blushed really red and bowed very apologetic to her boyfriend. "Sabin! I'm SO sorry! Please don't be mad at me!"  
  
Sabin moaned and made a light laugh coming out, "It's my fault. I should've remembered you have that sixth sense."  
  
Rei lowered to her knees and Sabin pulled her to the ground playfully. "Now you're all dirty too!" Rei laughed and wrestled with him on the ground. "You're quite strong for a lady!"  
  
Rei laughed and said, "And what's supposed to mean!"  
  
Sabin pinned her to the ground and said, "It means you're strong…but not strong enough."  
  
Rei flipped him over and pinned him down to the point where his struggles were pointless and Rei laughed, "You mustn't judge me by my looks! They'll get you everytime!" Rei rose back to her feet and helped Sabin to his feet.  
  
"I meant to tell you…about last night…"  
  
Rei put her finger to his lips like last night and said, "Don't…it was the greatest night of my life. I've never met anyone that knew the stars so well other than myself, and when I'm with you…I feel…" Rei turned her head from all the emotion she was pouring out and blushed very embarrassed.  
  
"Rei…you don't have to tell me. I know…and I feel the same way about you. I just want you to know that you are the most important thing to me in this world. I love you with my whole heart regardless of what may happen to me."  
  
Rei burst into tears and buried her head into his chest telling him through the sobs, "You're…the…most important thing to me…too." She looked up at his relaxed expression with glossy eyes and put her head back into his chest.  
  
"How about after we get the chores done, we'll go catch a movie together…does that sound good?"  
  
Rei nodded and looked up at him again. "I'ld love to…Sabin."  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
US…  
  
After a long shift all Aaron could think about was what had happened during his absence of sensor work. Thankfully, Windstrom had recorded everything that happened and Aaron studied the read-outs while drinking a Dew. "Hmm…well…now this is interesting." He headed into his room and activated his laptop considering the only way to actually get to Windstrom was to access a portal. Which of course was at the moment inoperable. After that last experience he decided to create a back up way in just in case something like this were to ever happen again. "Hey…Windstrom…I found something rather interesting."  
  
"What have you found?"  
  
"It appears that I've calculated where the damn things are going to be crossing each other's path…AND…I've found how long, and where they'll cross."  
  
"That is excellent."  
  
"The only thing I want to know is why it's converging at that point. There has to be some significant reason why."  
  
"There are no abnormal readings coming from anywhere around the city other than the slight vibrations from the portals."  
  
"There HAS to be a reason! I don't know why…but…I just can feel that there is something specific about the place they plan on crossing. Wait…Windstrom…send me the coordinates of the place where his armour was taken from him the first time we fought." Windstrom sent out a bunch of data that Aaron crosschecked with the data he had figured out and found something startling. There was a connection with the location of where the portals were heading. They matched the exact location down to the second where the fight on the moon took place on a scale of location in reference to the Earth. "Now that I find funny."  
  
"What is so comical about a situation this dire?"  
  
"This city in cross-reference to the old Moon Kingdom is the exact location of where the Moon Kingdom existed. This location where the portals are going to meet…is somewhere…in the…" Aaron didn't finish his sentence and simply shook his head. "Nevermind about that fact, we have a universe to save again."  
  
Luna…who was out most of the day scouting and reporting information back to Windstrom, returned and greeted Aaron with her tired words. "Tough day scouting everything out!"  
  
"I bet, but you're still just a lazy cat."  
  
"Why did you just say that? I've been busting my butt all day!"  
  
Aaron simply snorted and said, "Yeah right. How can I tell if you didn't just pretend to do scouting while sitting on your ass in an alley all day?!"  
  
Luna was somewhat perplexed by how quickly Aaron was attacking her. Her thoughts were short as Aaron tried to give her a boot. She quickly jumped aside and said quickly, "Windstrom! Scan Aaron's body!" Another quick brush of Aaron's foot caught Luna in the ass and sent her into the sidewall of the living room.  
  
"I won't stand for people who slack off when the whole universe could be destroyed! You will DIE for your insolence you damn cat!!"  
  
"It appears that certain area's of Aaron's brain are flooded with pheromone activity and are unable to counteract the misbalance," Windstrom said with complete monotony.  
  
"What am I supposed to DO?!" Luna screamed dodging another foot shot.  
  
"I am uncertain what must be done."  
  
"How's that supposed to comfort me?!"  
  
Aaron's face was breaking out in sweat, and he looked like he was trying to restrain his actions. "No…must…resist…emotion!"  
  
"Come on Aaron! Don't let whatever it is overtake you! FIGHT EM!"  
  
Aaron struggled and grappled to his knees applying pressure to the sides of his head thinking it would make the pain subside. "I…must…resist the pain…!!"  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Japan…  
  
About the same time as this is happening, Chibi-Usa has been feeling…well…under the weather so to speak. The exact moment that Aaron's head starting going crazy; Chibi-Usa began to experience pain of the same manner. The young girl clutched her head in much the same way that Aaron had, hoping to suppress some of the pain rippling from within her brain. "Chibi-Usa-chan!" Usagi said as her daughter screamed in pain.  
  
"My head feels…like it's…on FIRE!!" Chibi-Usa screamed.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
US…  
  
"AARON!!" Luna screamed over the high-pitched whining that was being heard. Aaron's body had started to exert energy to the point where his body was entirely composed of energy. He thrust his arms out and screamed out making a sound similar to that of some large carnivorous dinosaur. With this roar came a MASSIVE reaction of energy from his body that made the whole house explode with light.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * *  
  
Japan…  
  
Chibi-Usa's breathing was somewhat heavy, but she struggled to stay calm. "Chibi-Usa-chan…" Usagi said with her concerned voice. A small crackle of electricity turned her attention toward the window, and slowly…more and more energy began to build up. Suddenly a bright light ripped forth from the energy, and opened a gate. "DEAR…GOD!!!" Usagi said looking at the portal staring at her.  
  
"A…Aaron…" Chibi-Usa said looking at the unconscious being on the other side of the portal.  
  
"Huh?" Usagi looked closer and gasped, "It is! It's Aaron!"  
  
Chibi-Usa forced her way onto her feet and threw herself into the vortex. Usagi yelled at her, but soon followed suit. Chibi-Usa had Aaron's head on her lap upon Usagi's exit from the portal. "Usagi-chan!" Luna's voice chimed out to her.  
  
"Luna…do you know what's going on here?"  
  
"Don't bother…" Aaron moaned moving his head a little, "Just give me a bit and I'll explain what's been going on."  
  
"Aaron!!" Usagi hugged her brother's body, "Don't you EVER pull a stunt like that again!"  
  
Aaron made a light laugh and replied, "That's the one thing about you that's different from anyone else. You have an understanding of people better than anyone else I know."  
  
Usagi in tears and she said, "Don't laugh! I don't want to lose you for the third time. Once is harsh. Twice is insane…third…" she trailed off left only by her tears.  
  
"Usagi…" Aaron raised his hand and wiped a tear away from her. "You know I'm a soldier…like you. We both have the same mission, but different ways to carry them out."  
  
"Uncky Aaron…please don't make Usagi-chan cry again…then…" Chibi-Usa began to sob.  
  
"You just seem to have no luck today," Luna teased Aaron.  
  
"Don't tempt me cat…" Aaron moaned slowly getting up and returning to his feet.  
  
* * * * * * * * * * * 


	5. Countdown

1 Reflections of the Past…Countdown  
  
After about two hours, the entire gang had made it to Aaron's house. Sabin was about to break into tears, but Aaron put his hand up showing that this wasn't the time to get emotional over slight things. "After this is all over…we'll reminisce over what has gone on. For now…let's keep everything on the level." Sabin nodded and returned to his serious look. "Now," Aaron said taking a deep breath, "I want you all to know that Magitack is back." A blank look covered the room, and Aaron laughed, "I should've seen that one coming. You all don't remember him most likely."  
  
"Care to fill us in a little more? Perhaps we'll remember him a little clearer," Makoto said.  
  
Aaron blew air and put his hand on his forehead pushing his curly, uncut hair up just a little. "Let's see…do you remember the first time you actually saw MetaSigma on the Moon?"  
  
"Wait…" Usagi said showing that something might have popped up in her mind, "Oh…never mind…that's a pop tart I had earlier."  
  
Everyone face-faulted and Aaron moaned. "Can't she take her mind off food for 5 damn minutes?!" Aaron thought.  
  
"The first time? You know…I have a vague memory of that event," Rei said looking like she was straining her brain for the memory.  
  
"Wait…Magitack? That big electrical machine that attacked the throne room?" Minako said slowly like the memory was reforming in her mind.  
  
"Yes!! That's Magitack! He laid waste to you while you were protecting the Princess. You could say not the finest day for the Inner Court."  
  
"Aaron…" Usagi smirked at him.  
  
"Yesterday I found out from Queen Serenity that Magitack is responsible for what's going on right now. He's hired a mercenary named Duran…"  
  
Usagi suddenly turned very pale in the face at the sound of the name. Ami chimed at Aaron, "Aaron! Have you no tact? Usagi-chan dreads-!"  
  
"Ami-chan…it's Ok," Usagi forced a smile from her discolored lips, "I'm sure my brother wouldn't do that without good reason."  
  
"How my mother could bear such a wuss…" Aaron simply rolled his eyes.  
  
"What did you just say?!" Makoto said raising a fist.  
  
"Take that back Aaron! That was uncalled for!" Minako said.  
  
"Usagi might be somewhat of a coward at times, but that gives you no right to say that!" Rei yelled at him.  
  
"Uncky Aaron! How could you say such a rude thing?!" Chibi-Usa chimed upset.  
  
Aaron shook his head, "I'm sorry…I've been blasting everyone and everything lately…I nearly blew my top at work earlier. Something…is messing with my mind. I don't really know what…but, I'm sorry for my vicious and untrue remark."  
  
Usagi nodded and replied, "Whatever it is that's going on, we'll face it…together."  
  
Aaron shook his head once more, "That's where you're wrong. I'm not going to let you get involved anymore. I'm taking charge of this situation as per orders from our mother."  
  
"But Aaron!" Sabin intervened before the phone interrupted his reply.  
  
Aaron picked up the cordless and said in standard greeting, "Hello?"  
  
A somewhat distorted, but legible voice answered, "Aaron I presume?"  
  
Aaron felt a cold feeling coming from the other end of the phone, but played dumb figuring he could get more out of this caller than expected, "This is Aaron, may I ask who is calling?"  
  
"Don't play so dumb with me Aaron. You think I'm going to reveal more than needs to be expected?" The other end stopped for a few seconds before continuing, "This is Duran. At this moment, I'm at Schala's house fitting her with the latest in life force draining technology."  
  
"I'm warning you Duran, you get her involved in this and you're going to see why I can send you further down than hell. I'll put you so high up on my shit list that you'll be crossed off ten times. Each one how many times I killed you before you hit the ground."  
  
Duran laughed on the other end retorting with a testy voice, "It doesn't matter if you put me on your shit list, hit list, hell, if it was a line for damn concert tickets. WHATEVER!!! Listen well child, the war is going on, and the final battle is going to be decided soon. So you better get ready! Have a nice day!" *Click*  
  
Aaron set the phone back onto the charger and looked over at the stoned figure of Usagi huddling against Mamoru once more. "Hell, some soldier you turned out to be."  
  
"Uncky Aaron!!" Chibi-Usa said more angered than his last tactless comment.  
  
"No…Chibi-Usa…he's right…I've failed as a Sailor Scout,"  
  
Usagi said showing tears in her eyes.  
  
"I never said anything about you failing in your duties as a soldier. In fact…you've done better than anything I can say to date," Aaron said in his relaxed, but cold sounding tone.  
  
Usagi looked up at him with red, and glittery eyes, "Aaron…"  
  
"If you had failed in your duties…then neither me nor you would be here talking to one another. Neither would Chibi-Usa have ever been born. The world would be in darkness by the hand of Queen Beryl." Aaron made a slight snicker and said under his breath, "The boot…" (AN: Inside joke while watching the ending of the first season. :-)  
  
"Aaron…" Windstrom said over the laptop, "I am detecting a great rise in energy output from one of the portals. It is matching energy output of all but one of the portals."  
  
Aaron lowered his head in a defeated position, "He went through with it. Schala's in danger because of me…" His hand curled up into a fist and he rammed it into a wall screaming out the profanity, "SON OF A BITCH!!!"  
  
A couple of hours later…  
  
Aaron pushed a few more buttons on Windstrom's control panel. It had been at least a good 2 weeks since he had actually been in the comfy leather control chair. "You're back at max efficiency…" he finished touching up a few things.  
  
"All controls normal. Running reboot sequence…"  
  
Aaron opened the gate to return to his own house and sighed. Even he couldn't have predicted this turn of events…and now…one of his best friends was in great danger. He looked at his hands and simply thought, "What has become of me…everything that I try to correct…only ends in failure."  
  
"Hey…you coming out of there? Or did you just leave this open for show?" Usagi appeared from the gate.  
  
Aaron gave a headstrong smile and replied, "Just making last checks on everything."  
  
"All systems have returned to normal…" Windstrom said finishing the reboot sequence. "It appears we had a transmission while I was updating. Going to replay mode. The screen went into static for a few seconds before a familiar face blipped onscreen.  
  
"Duran…" Usagi felt a bit queasy.  
  
"Hello Aaron…considering this is the first time we've met face to face…let me introduce myself. I am Noikia Duran…famed mercenary. I decided that until I get the 13th person, I'd hang onto this little piece of human waste…just to have some fun." Duran moved out of the way to reveal Schala tied up, and hanging by a rope. Her body was alive, but she was unconscious at the time. "Such a sweet little girl…it would be awful if…some unforeseen thing were to happen to her."  
  
Aaron's face was red and enraged. Fire burned in his eyes, and it was as if something inside him had snapped. The transmission continued playing, but Aaron said with a deep dark sounding voice that was rarely heard from him, "Where the hell did he transmit that from Windstrom…"  
  
"Searching…" Usagi wanted to ask Aaron something, but she had a feeling that saying anything would make him turn on her at any second.  
  
Against her best thoughts she squeaked out in fear, "What are you going to do?"  
  
Aaron turned around quickly which frightened Usagi, and he replied, "I'm going to find this mercenary, put on my armour, AND KICK HIS ASS!!!"  
  
"I've located the source of the transmission…it appears to be coming from the arena," Windstrom replied without emotion.  
  
Aaron stepping into the open gate and returned to his house. Usagi followed suit a few seconds later before the gate closed behind her. "Sabin…I'm going out for a while…take care of things here for me," Aaron said walking past his friend throwing orders around.  
  
"Don't you even thing about going alone Aaron!" Usagi said in a quick streak of courage.  
  
Aaron stopped in his tracks and said over his shoulder, "This is no longer a matter of stopping this guy. When he took Schala hostage, he made it personal…"  
  
"We're out to stop this guy too!" Minako said.  
  
"Let us help you out! We're your friends! Friends help each other out," Ami said in her respective tone.  
  
Aaron closed his eyes and drew a fist again, "No…I'm not to let you all get involved. This is between Duran and me."  
  
"Hey Shane!" a voiced called out from the basement, "Can I play some Brood War action?"  
  
"Go ahead man…disk is in my room," Aaron replied in a much more caring tone than his previous one.  
  
A young kid perhaps 13 or 14 came barreling up the stairs and passed by giving a nod with his head, "Hey Sabin," he said recognizing him instantly.  
  
"Hey little man, still kicking some zergling ass?" Sabin nodded back at him.  
  
"You damn right."  
  
"Right on."  
  
The kid disappeared back down the stairs and Chibi-Usa asked, "Who…was that?"  
  
Aaron spied the slight blush in her face and said, "Just my little brother."  
  
Her face was still of that similar to when you meet someone you think is really cute. You just stare for a few seconds without being aware of anything else. "Wow…he's handsome," she thought.  
  
Aaron headed into his room and grabbed his bike helmet and gloves for his motorcycle. When he got to the door he said like it was another order, "Well…are you guys coming or not?"  
  
The sound of relief from his friends was massive, and they all headed out the door. "Just one question…how are we going to fit everyone onto this small bike?" Mamoru asked with a slight laugh.  
  
Aaron turned the communicator on and said, "Windstrom, bring out the other cycles."  
  
"Getting backup cycles online, and preparing them from use."  
  
A few minutes later two gates opened and out came two more motorcycles. Each had a side seat so everyone could fit, and Aaron gave Sabin and Mamoru the keys. "I can fit both Chibi-Usa and Usagi on mine. Just make sure you keep up with me…and be careful."  
  
Sabin and Mamoru nodded and put on the equipment for the cycles. Rei and Makoto loaded up onto the bike Sabin was piloting and Ami and Minako hitched it up onto Mamoru's bike. After everyone was wearing the safety equipment, Aaron pushed the startup buttons on his bike and pushed the visor down over his eyes. He popped a wheelie and burned rubber out of the driveway like a devil. Usagi screamed afraid at his dangerous driving and yelled to him, "Why did you change your mind?!"  
  
In a regular voice Aaron replied, "There are microphone in the helmets Usagi…you don't have to yell!" Usagi blushed embarrassed by her loud blunder and Aaron laughed replying, "After thinking about it, I have a feeling that Duran wants me to pay him a visit, and I'm sure it's not going to be a cakewalk getting to him. So I could use some help you could say."  
  
Chibi-Usa smiled and said, "Thank you for trusting us Uncky Aaron!"  
  
Aaron's face blushed a little and he kicked the bike up another gear followed by the other cycles a short distance back.  
  
15 minutes later…  
  
Aaron stopped within sight of the arena, but was still a good half-mile away from it. "Why did we stop so far from where we were going?" Chibi-Usa asked.  
  
"He has some security running the perimeter…check it out." He handed a pair of binoculars to Chibi-Usa.  
  
"They don't look so tough…why can't we just punch through?"  
  
"Better to have the advantage of surprise than have shots coming at us."  
  
"He's got a good point Chibi-Usa-chan," Usagi agreed.  
  
The other two groups arrived and Aaron motioned for them to check out the security. "He seems to be taking no chances…I think there's more that meets the eye here," Mamoru said.  
  
"It could just be a trick to make us think something important is inside," Sabin replied.  
  
"At any rate. We can't take any chances. Now here's the plan…"  
  
Down at the arena's security perimeter…  
  
"Sector 2 clear. Proceeding to Sector 3," the guard reported.  
  
"Keep on the look out, he'll be here. I can feel him in my bones," the other end replied.  
  
"Roger."  
  
The guard contained a set of 3 incase additional firepower was going to be needed. The second in command of that guard squinted his eyes and said, "Sir…check that out." He pointed his finger to a dot many yards away.  
  
The head in command pulled out his binoculars and got a close range look. "Hmmm…Sir…it appears you were right. He's headed this way."  
  
"Excellent…now make sure you bring him to me alive. I need him for something REALLY special!" the other end of the communication device said with a hiss.  
  
"Understood." The guard pushed a button on his wrist and said, "Attention all guards, report to the front of the arena, we have the target sighted. The superior wants him alive so set weapons to the recommended setting."  
  
Within seconds the front side was swarming with guard troops. The commander checked his binoculars once more until the target was within close visual range. "All weapons ready sir," the second in command stated.  
  
"Get ready men. We only get one chance at this."  
  
The rider of the bike suddenly turned to the side revealing a second person whom instantly fired a massive wave of bubbles. The bubbles turned into a massive, thick fog make visibility near zero. "Sir! We have lost visual contact!"  
  
"Use the thermal visors. They still have to give off heat signatures!"  
  
A few seconds past until the second replied, "Visors online, target sighted once more."  
  
"Fire!"  
  
Blasts were fired into the thick fog narrowly missing the targets. Suddenly a massive blast of fire erupted from the ground making the entire area lit in flame. "Thermal Visors are useless in this heat Sir!"  
  
"The enemy is clever. We'll just have to be cleverer!"  
  
"Sparkling, Wide Pressure!!" A ball of electrical energy moved in a line parallel to guards destroying their weapons.  
  
The fog cleared up and revealed that the guards had been surrounded. "What now sir?!" the second in command asked.  
  
"We have no choice…guards! Commence Operation Grantith! The guards each pushed a button on their wrists and their bodies shattered to pieces.  
  
"Talk about a piece of cake!" Zerto said making a soft grunt.  
  
"Come on! We have to hurry!" Sailor Moon said running toward the entrance to the arena.  
  
The ground around them began to shake, and the pieces of machinery began to hop off the pavement. Slowly, they started to reform into something much bigger, and a whole hell of a lot worse. "Uhh…holy shit?" Sailor Jupiter said.  
  
There were now 4 giant mechanical creatures each nearly 15 ft in size. "Take cover!" Sailor Chibi Moon said dodging a gigantic blast that left a small crater in the ground.  
  
Inside the arena…  
  
Meta had slipped by during the confusion in the fog and now stood ready with beam saber in hand. A wall panel opened on his left side and fired an energy blast at him. Meta absorbed the blast and redirected it back at the energy cannon stronger than was fired at him. It blew the cannon up and left a burning hole in the wall where the cannon had been. Meta gave a slight smile and said, "Been a while since I did that." Cautiously he moved on every ready for trouble. "Thus far I'm unimpressed by his defense," Meta thought, "I could more or less walk my way through here." Meta quickly dove for cover as a missile tore by him. He aimed his plasma cannon at the launcher and fired a deadly shot. It blew the launcher up with a sickening explosion. "His defense may be a bit behind," Meta finished, "but he's still got a lot of it, and I'm sure he's hiding something VERY important."  
  
Outside…  
  
"Damn! I can't get a shot off with them constantly spraying the area with fire!" Zerto said.  
  
"What are we going to do?!" Sailor Mars yelled.  
  
"Zerto! I'll draw their fire for a second. Try and get a few shots off!" Tuxedo Kamen said.  
  
"Are you crazy!!? You wouldn't last 5 seconds in that fire!" Zerto yelled back.  
  
"Trust me!"  
  
"Be careful Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" Sailor Moon said wishing him luck.  
  
Tuxedo Kamen mad a dash away from the cover area and threw whatever he could, be it a rose, rock, or high-powered missiles. (AN: I'm sorry I had to put something crazy there.) The guards turned their attention to Tuxedo Kamen and fired at his direction. One of the shots hit him in the left leg, and another in the right shoulder. His costume was badly torn, and he barely made it to cover before another shot whizzed by his head. "Die bastards die!" Zerto yelled firing a blast. The blast simply bounced off the machine's armour hide. "Oh…shit!!" The firing line returned toward Zerto and he ducked again. "Their bodies are made out of some alloy that I can't penetrate!"  
  
"What the hell are we going to do then?!" Sailor Moon screamed.  
  
"The bikes! I might be able to get a greater shot fired if I hook my cannon up to the battery of the bike!"  
  
"Won't that drain the battery completely?!" Jupiter said, "and what would Meta say when his bike is out of juice?!"  
  
"I think he'll understand! Besides! I don't need to use the entire battery! I just need enough to get shot through the alloy!"  
  
A bunch of blasts exploded over their heads and they hit the ground for cover. "It's better than sitting here doing nothing!" Mars said.  
  
"Ok…Mercury…give us a veil of cover and head with me over to the bike we left after the initial assault! Everyone else scatter to give us a little cover. They'll change to thermal scanners faster than before so get as far away from here as you can!"  
  
Everyone nodded and Zerto nodded to Mercury, "Go!!"  
  
"Shabon, Spray!!" a cover of fog and bubbles surrounded the area once more and everyone took off. The machines changed to their heat visors and quickly fired many shots at the scattering groups "What about the one that's going after us?!" Mercury asked dodging blasts from the lone machine chasing them.  
  
"Freeze it!"  
  
"Are you sure it'll work?!"  
  
"Just try!"  
  
Mercury put her arms to her chest and focused a small wave of water around her body. She spun around a bit and yelled, "Shine Aqua, Illusion!!" The wave froze the mechanical creature and Zerto gave Mercury the thumbs up as they rushed for the bike.  
  
Inside the arena…  
  
Meta hid around a corner as a scanner drone passed by him. "Security has tightened up a bunch. He must know I'm in here. So much for the element of surprise. I'll just have to take him out head on." Meta checked around the corner slightly making sure nothing else would get the drop on him. He moved quickly, considering the scanner drone would be back at any moment, and then he would be in hot water. He looked above and noticed a pair of metal pipes big enough for him to walk on. They were at least 50 feet in the air, but of course Meta would accept the challenge in front of him. He dashed and jumped against the wall. The second his feet hit the wall he kicked the accelerators in his boots and bounced up toward the pipes. His hands grabbed the piping and he pulled himself up the rest of the way. He looked down and noticed the scanned drone had just passed him. "Talk about a close call." Meta looked across from his position and noticed a tram way nearly 300 feet across from him. He knew it was better to be on the tramway than the piping, but he knew he couldn't make 300 feet without giving off a heat sig that would be picked up. Cautiously, and quietly, he moved along the piping until it came to its end. "Damn…dead end, Meta thought. He turned his head and noticed the tramway was merely 30 ft from his position. "Now THIS I can do!" He made a slight running jump and made a quick mid-air acceleration that propelled him the rest of the way to the tram. "There we go. One path closed, another opened." Below him stood a pair of doors guarded by two guards (remember 3 in a guard). "Damn," Meta thought, "I'm sure that's where that bastard is hiding. Don't want to cause a ruckus and alert the place to my position." Meta looked at the piping and gave a slight smile. He charged up his weapon to just enough to break the pipe a good distance away. "If I break the pipe, and release the gas, the guards will have to switch to heat sensors. I'll throw a fake heat sig and send them on a random goose chase!" He fired the shot a good distance away from him and shattered the pipe releasing the gas as planned.  
  
"Sensors are becoming inoperable in this fog, switching to thermals. Heat signature detected! Guards! Capture the intruder! It HAS to be Meta!" The 2 guards gave chase to the goose sig and Meta simply snickered as he lowered himself down the wall to the front of the door. Carefully he touched it making sure not to set off an alarm or some other trap.  
  
"It's clean," he thought opening it carefully.  
  
Outside…  
  
"Everything hooked up?" Zerto asked as he took aim at the frozen machine about 100 yards away.  
  
"Almost!" Mercury said making a few final adjustments.  
  
The frozen machine started to turn a heated red color and suddenly the ice encasing it shattered. "Mercury?!!"  
  
"Just a few more seconds!"  
  
"I don't have a few more seconds!"  
  
The machine started making its approach not even needing to fire a shot. It was so sure that it would score a direct hit it didn't even worry. It was nearly 15 yards away when it started to charge up its pulse lasers. "Mercury!!!"  
  
"Almost…there…"  
  
The machine was right on top of Zerto and his weapon was aimed right for the thing's head. "I'm firing whether you're ready or not! Zerto Plasma…PULSATOR!!!" The shot was much more focused and intensified by the excessive energy of the battery, and it demoleculorized the head in an instant. "Oh yeah! How do you like that hot love up your-!"  
  
"Zerto!" Mercury stopped him, "We still have to help everyone else! You can celebrate later!"  
  
Zerto sighed and nodded, "How much juice did that take up?"  
  
"Battery power is at 59 percent. That took about 25 percent of the battery."  
  
"Damn…he must use these vehicles in emergencies only. No way it would waste that much battery power."  
  
"What do we do? You only have enough power for 2 more shots!"  
  
"I'll take out two of them. We can assault the last one as a team. I think we'd fare better that way."  
  
Mercury nodded, "I understand."  
  
Zerto hopped onto the seat of the cycle and said, "Get on…we have to get back to the others fast!" Mercury hopped on and Zerto sped off.  
  
"Burning…Mandala!" the rings of fire simply dissipated off the armour of the monsters. Mars ducked as another mass wave of fire swept over their position. "What the hell are we going to do? We're pinned down again!"  
  
"What about Mercury and Zerto?! Did they make it?" Chibi-Moon asked as Sailor Moon tried to reach them on Mercury's communicator.  
  
"Nothing…they…must not…"  
  
"Usagi-chan!" the communicator fizzed in as a photo of Mercury appeared.  
  
"Mercury-chan! You're alive!" Sailor Moon said with sudden surprise and glee.  
  
"We've got enough power for 2 more shots, but that's all. We'll have to take one out as a team!"  
  
Sailor Moon nodded, "We can do it!" She poked her head above the cover and watched as Zerto fragged two of the remaining three machine mammons. The last machine laid a direct hit on the cycle and it exploded injuring Mercury and Zerto badly. "Mercury-chan! Zerto-kun!!"  
  
Zerto shook his head slowly and said in a weakened voice, "Don't worry…about us…aim for…the head…" Zerto's head hit the ground like a piece of meat thrown on the counter.  
  
Sailor Moon couldn't speak at all. She was in awe at the words Zerto had told her. Not to worry about her friends? How could she not? They were there for her. They had sacrificed themselves to save her. She closed her teary eyes and pulled out her tier. "No…I won't abandon you…I won't abandon anyone…not even my own brother! Everyone! Aim for its head!"  
  
"Jupiter! Oak Evolution!!"  
  
"Venus! Love and Beauty Shock!!"  
  
"Mars! Flame Sniper!!"  
  
"Moon, Gorgeous, Meditation!!"  
  
"Silver Moon, Crystal Power Kiss!!" The five energies combined into one bright light and exploded tearing the head off of the machine. It fizzed and crackled where its head had been and it began to fall forward toward the fallen bodies of Mercury and Zerto. "Mercury-chan!" Sailor Moon screamed as the machine created a dust cloud pummeling the ground. Everyone covered their eyes from the blow back dust created and Sailor Moon squinted to find her friends. "Mercury-chan! Zerto!!"  
  
She frantically searched as best she could and rubbed her eyes from the dust. After the dust had settled she looked and found that Mercury and Zerto were not under the mammoth hide of the machine. Her glistening eyes widened and looked up to see Tuxedo Kamen holding both of their bodies and he still in mid-jump (I mean the guy has a hang time that even Michael Jordan would envy!) After a few more seconds, Tux landed and fell to one knee still in pain. Sailor Moon rushed over to make sure he boyfriend and friends were ok. "Everyone Ok?" Tux asked trying not to show the pain in his voice.  
  
"Sabin…come on…wake up…" Mars held him in her arms.  
  
Zerto moaned and said, "Aaron's going to kill me for losing a bike…" after commenting he made a slight laugh and threw his face into a look of pain holding his chest.  
  
"Mercury-chan…" Sailor Moon said shaking her friend a little.  
  
Mercury moaned a little and slowly moved her eyes…"Usagi…-chan…are you OK?"  
  
Sailor Moon nodded her head and cried, "I'm so glad you're Ok…"  
  
Mercury gave a smile and said, "Sailor Moon…don't cry…everything is going to be fine…we'll help Aaron get rid of this enemy."  
  
Zerto and Mercury got back to their feet and regrouped with the rest of the Scouts as they made their way towards the arena.  
  
Inside…  
  
"How did you-?!"  
  
"Get past the security?" Meta said with a slight laugh, "like this…" he finished his sentence blasting the lone guard with a shot. "Never mix me with evil…it's a highly explosive compound!" Meta continued down the hallway and stopped in front of another door. He put his hand near it and thought. "Hmm…no trap…but…it's made of Tricilite…wonder why he would make a door so strong…if he plans on letting me in more or less…" Meta's hands retracted and his modified plasma cannons charged up. "Oh well…time to waste this door!" As his cannons reached max charge, the doors slid open and Meta prepared for an assault. When the doors had fully opened he waited a few extra seconds and slowly moved through the opening.  
  
"Oh come on MetaSigma…just get in here already," a familiar voice chimed.  
  
"Duran…WHERE ARE YOU COWARD?!!" Meta yelled not yet able to see his foe.  
  
Duran stepped into view and grinned, "I'm right here pitiful creature."  
  
Meta growled and yelled to him, "Where's Schala!!"  
  
Duran made a subtle laugh and replied, "That annoying girl? Well…why don't you look up above?"  
  
Meta looked above and saw Schala hanging by her hands unconscious many feet above. "Schala!" Meta screamed. He returned his gaze to Duran and said rising in anger, "Let her go Duran! She has nothing to do with me! Let her go…and I might let you live…"  
  
Duran laughed and said, "She has a LOT more to do with this than you realize! She contains the secret to the final person to harness portal energy from!"  
  
Meta lowered his eyes and replied, "You'll never use her for that…I'm not going to allow you too!"  
  
Duran laughed, "It's already too late once I utilize the last person…I will use Magitack's armour to spread terror!"  
  
Meta laughed, "Boy…you really are dumb…Magitack is the only one who can use it in the first place…and he's stuck inside that tin can sealed inside the portal!" Duran made a short snicker…and then a louder laugh…then a monstrous evil bellow that made Meta yell, "What the hell is so funny?!"  
  
Duran bellowed out, "You haven't put the pieces together? Son of Queen Serenity!?"  
  
Meta's irises grew dilated and said in a surprised, nearly shocked voice, "No…you can't be…"  
  
"That's right little Moon Child…I'm back, and this time no one will stop me!"  
  
Meta closed his eyes till they shed tears and he grit his teeth before saying, "You…can't be…you were sucked in! You can't me…Magitack!!!" Duran laughed again and filled the arena with it's evil sound. 


	6. The Past and Present Show the Future

Reflections of the Past…The Past and Present Show the Future  
  
"How…How…HOW did you escape from the portal?! There is no way that you could have!"  
  
"I never had to escape…I…was never caught in the portal."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Before my armour was swallowed into the portal, I transferred myself back into the main-frame that was my base on the other side of the moon." Duran moved over and sat on the throne that appeared behind him. He continued his story, "After that happened I was helpless, as that was my only mobile form of transportation. Most of my equipment had been destroyed, and my resources were scarce. So I waited and prayed that something may come along. A few years later my prayer had been answered. When the Moon Kingdom fell to the hands of Queen Metallia and Queen Beryl few years later, I was overjoyed to find the queen sending the people to another time where they wouldn't have endure the evil they had been destroyed with. With my last chance, I transferred myself to one of the Sailor Scout wands and waited until they had appeared in the future. In this present time technology was FAR beyond anything that the past had to offer, and with resources abound, I was in a garden ripe for my picking…but…I had no way to harvest this garden. So I placed myself into the laboratory of a mad scientist…and that's when I found out about Dr. Tomoe…it took nearly 2 years…but one day…he found me…and promised to make me a body that would kill those creatures from the White Moon. Although he had his diamond pods to work on, he spent as much time as he could constructing an android like body for me. Before he could finish the entire body he met an untimely demise at the hands of two of the three talisman holders. With my body not nearly complete, and my death about to become permanent, I transferred myself to the body and escaped. Because I had never seen the plans to the body…I had not an idea of how to finish it. The plans…however…were destroyed when the Omega Zone destroyed most of the Mugen area. With the limited technology I could implore in my then current condition. I did what I could to finish this piece of machinery. I did finish…but…I knew that it wouldn't last forever…and I would have to transfer myself back to the armour. This body may be more powerful than my armour…but…it has no self-sustaining systems like my armour. Therefore…once I retrieve my armour…I'm going to transfer the power of this body into the system of my armour and do what I attempted to so many years ago!"  
  
Meta slowly unsheathed his beam saber and replied, "So…what do you want for your SOB story? A cookie perhaps? Maybe I should just skip the cookie…and finish what I started!!" Meta dashed toward Magitack and slashed with his beam saber. Magitack made a simple smile and sidestepped his frenzied attack. Then with a free hand, he charged a shot up and blasted Meta in the back with force that was more than what Meta had expected. He flew into the wall and made a slight moan from the pain in his body.  
  
Magitack unsheathed a beam saber of his own and said slowly walking over to the kneeling Meta, "How do you like my saber? I fastened it with the same technology you have in yours. So many battles…so much data…it's amazing what a little time and energy can create." He looked at the saber a little more and touched it against Meta's armour. It made a sizzling sound before it made a slight cut in it.  
  
Meta rolled away and looked at the area where Magitack had touched saber to armour. It was smoking still warm from the insertion it had made. "Now you've given me one more reason to kill you." Meta got back to his feet and appeared more ready to face his foe. "It's time I send you to the pit for good." He dashed forward and made a carefully placed attack on shoulder. The blade nicked Magitack and he held his opposite hand on the spot where the blade had touched him. "Now…we're even."  
  
Magitack growled and winced a little, "All right…go ahead and get that blasted creature out of here…BUT…if you leave her here and fight…her fate lies in your hands."  
  
Meta looked at Schala and back at Magitack, "And how do I know that you won't just attack me with my back turned toward you?"  
  
"Good point…but how do you know that I won't?"  
  
Meta simply smiled, "Alright then…I'll take your word…but don't think that I still won't be ready in case you double cross me."  
  
Meta walked over, and under to where Schala's body hung many feet above. Meta jumped and kicked the accelerators in his boots flying higher off the floor. When he got to the point of the rope he sliced the rope and grabbed onto Schala's limp body. He drifted to the ground and set Schala someplace safe. He returned his attention back to Magitack who said with an ever- growing grin, "Thank you for doing that…now I can finally complete the transfer!"  
  
Meta gave Magitack a funny look, "What the hell are you talking about?"  
  
"You haven't figured it out yet? I said that Schala would play a VERY key role in uncovering the last person."  
  
Meta shook his head, "That's impossible…if it was…then-." Meta was cut off in mid-sentence as a light started emanating from his body.  
  
"I told you so…"  
  
The energy moved over behind the throne of where Magitack had sat and a small portal started to open up. The other 12 portals that had been slowly converging on that point connected together to form a massive portal. "Oh…shit…"  
  
Magitack laughed and yelled over the slowly building winds, "It's time to finish the battle that we started on the Moon…SO many years ago!!"  
  
*Flashback*  
  
"Is that the best your kingdom has to offer me in the way of a fight? I thought there was someone who bested my greatest warriors! There is no way these pathetic creatures could have! They fell to me so easily!" Magitack said, as Princess Serenity's court lay on the ground beside him dead.  
  
The small Princess now about 5 or 6 clung to her mother for protection and said, "Momma…I'm scared! My friends are dead…and now he's going to hurt us!"  
  
Queen Serenity looked at Magitack fearlessly and said to her daughter, "Don't worry little Princess, I'll take care of this fiend." She pulled out the Crescent Moon Wand and the Silver Imperial Crystal, and attached it to the wand. It glowed brightly, but Magitack simply made a slight laugh. Queen Serenity pointed the wand toward Magitack and yelled out, "Moon Healing Escalation!!" Brilliant colors flashed from the crystal, but Magitack simply yawned as its power scattered as it drew near. The colors also revived Princess Serenity's friends and they moaned wondering where they were.  
  
"Oh yes dear Queen. I forgot to tell you…I prepared myself incase you tried to pull that trick." Magitack thrust his hands forward and said with simple ease, "Now die." He charged a shot up in the palms and fired them toward the Queen and the Princess.  
  
"Tenchi no ki!" a yell rang out and another ball of energy deflected Magitack's blast out of harm's way.  
  
Magitack swore and said, "Who's there!? Who dares to lose their life for this mockery?!"  
  
A warrior no older than 9 or 10 stepped into the light on the edge of the upper balcony overlooking the throne room. His thick navy armour deflected light about the room giving it a somewhat heroic look. "You know exactly who I am."  
  
Magitack twisted his face into an angry look and said, "I had a feeling you would show up you little nuisance."  
  
"Hmmm…it seems I'm a magnet for trouble," the warrior seemed to enjoy saying with a hint of laughter in his voice.  
  
"So overconfident. That is your greatest weakness. No…I take that back. That is merely a great flaw you have. You have a very strong weakness…in the fact-."  
  
The warrior shot at Magitack and made his jump back a little. "Are you done showing your greatest weakness? You don't know when to shut the hell up?"  
  
Magitack pointed his palms in antipode directions. One in the direction of Princess Serenity and Queen Serenity, and the other at all the other innocent people who had shown up for the Queen's birthday. "Try and prevent both from happening." He charged his hands up and fired shots from both palms.  
  
"Please…at least give me a challenge." The navy armoured warrior shot two blast the dissipated both of Magitack's blasts. "If that's all I have to worry about…then why don't I just finish you off?"  
  
"Well…perhaps now I should tip my hand and show you my TRUE power!" He held his hands to the sky and energy started pouring in through his palms. His body began to charge much the same as a battery and he laughed after finishing saying, "Ok little creature! Let's fight!"  
  
The warrior finally revealed his name and posed saying, "Boku wa MetaSigma desu! Tsukini kawate, oshili oshokyo!" (AN: for all you NON- Japanese speaking people it is translated: I am MetaSigma! In the name of the moon, your ass is punished!!) He charged both his barrels and did a corkscrew flip off the rail of the balcony and fired numerous shots at Magitack. Magitack dodged most of the shots, but felt the sting as one hit him slightly in the shoulder. Meta landed on the ground and motioned everyone to escape while he held his foe at bay.  
  
Magitack looked back over at Meta after surveying the damage to his shell and said, "Bastard! I'll make you pay in spades for your foolishness!" The rest of the room emptied as Meta dashed toward Magitack with his beam saber wielded.  
  
"If there's anything that's going to be paid…it's all the innocent victims you killed! They will be paid with your life ending!!" Meta slashed down viciously and missed as Magitack dodged out of the way. Magitack returned with a blast that Meta did a flip out of the way and returned fire. It was hit and miss for the next few seconds when the two fighters stood in duel position and Meta held his saber ready.  
  
Magitack made a slight laugh and said, "Now that we've had our warm- up…how about the real fight begins?"  
  
Meta screamed and attacked Magitack with a flurry of moves. High slash, low slash, overhead attack, it was miss after miss, until Magitack decked Meta with a punch in his kidney that dislodged the weapon from his hands. He coughed and grit his teeth from the pain. Another punch landed on his back sent him into a wall, and he made a slight impact crater upon its holy surface. He knelt on the ground and started to laugh despite the pain he was in. "Uhhh…huhhhh…huhhhh," he laughed slowly getting louder much to Magitack's anger.  
  
"Why…why are you laughing?! What's so funny?!"  
  
"Is that…all you got?"  
  
Magitack growled and accelerated toward Meta. Meta sidestepped his thrust forward and clasped his hands together pounding downward on Magitack's neck. The mechanical villain was mashed to the ground and rolled out of the way before Meta punched at the ground with a harsh right. The two stood a few yards away from each other sweating and breathing heavily. (Sounds like a Dragon Ball Z episode doesn't it!) "Ok…we…end this…now."  
  
Meta laughed and stood in position awaiting his foe's advance, "Just bring it…"  
  
Magitack screamed and attacked. The two engaged in a flurry of fisticuffs and took each hit that was dealt. Punches and kicks flew like crazy and the fight continued.  
  
*End Flashback*  
  
"I won't let you get back into that thing…" Meta said lowering his head.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"I'm not the same little boy you fought so long ago…I'm different!" Meta raised one arm to the air like he was posing, but yelled out, "The order in the never ending chaos! Give me your power now!! Gigas…Explosion!!!" Meta's navy armour began to glow, and another suit of armour appeared. His raised arm became encased and a thicker, blacker arm replaced the usual exterior. His chest plate was overlaid with dark, metallic armour that had the symbol of omega near the heart. His other arm received the same dark armour as the raised on had been given, and his legs were fortified with a bigger, heavier set or armour. These too were black in color and were much stronger looking than his regular attire. A set of black wings appeared on his back and extended out more like a set of angel wings than a set of metallic wings. "Now…how about we see what you've really learned over the years?" He aimed his arm cannon toward the portals and charged it up quicker than when he would fire a shot from his regular cannon. "Omega Wave!!" The shot whizzed by Magitack's head and accelerated into the opening that was above his throne. The portal crackled and fizzed a little, but continued to grow larger. "Hmmm…I guess I'll just have to turn up the juice a little!"  
  
The entrance doors to where Gigas and Magitack stood opened and Sailor Moon appeared in them. "Meta!" she said in shock at his new display.  
  
"Take Schala and get out of here!" Gigas said firing the accelerators in his boots and attack Magitack with fisticuffs.  
  
"What about you!?"  
  
"Don't worry about me! I'll be fine! Just go!"  
  
"But-!"  
  
Gigas shoved Magitack away and yelled, "GO!!!"  
  
Sailor Moon opened her mouth to speak, but closed it after a few seconds. She nodded and motioned Jupiter to grab hold of Schala. "It doesn't matter if she escapes! She, and you…have served my purposed. I shall simply dispose of you now, and then get everyone else later!" Gigas did a reverse clothesline, and then gave Magitack a mighty rip across the jaw with his right fist. Magitack went sailing into one of the walls hitting it with a thud. Gigas turned his attention back to the ever-closer growing portals.  
  
"There isn't going to be a repeat." He charged his arm cannons up to the very peak limit not breaking the safety features implanted, and aimed for the center of the main portal. "Omega Wave!!" The blasts roared across the ground until they impacted the portal. At first nothing happened, but then the main portal started fluxing tearing the boundaries of it apart.  
  
Magitack looked up at what just had happened and said growing in rage, "No…NOOOOO!!!" The portal imploded upon itself and disappeared. Gigas had a look of obsessed seriousness/confidence and moved his lips slowly up to a prided, angry looking grin.  
  
"So…are you ready to head to your final resting place yet?" Gigas asked.  
  
Magitack closed his eyes and grunted, "I…will not let you defeat me…like THIS!!!" He screamed and his body exploded with rage charging up higher than Gigas even thought possible.  
  
"How?!"  
  
"I may have been set back before, and now I may have been set back slightly, but one thing I will accomplish will be killing…all…of…you!!"  
  
Gigas' eyes widened and he screamed, "GET OUT!!!"  
  
"Energy…blast…EXPLOSION!!!!"  
  
The beam was sent right at Gigas, and behind him was his friends and family. He had no choice but to take the full blast. Sailor Moon screamed, "META! DON'T!!!" The beam impacted Gigas and his eyes shut from the light, and heat of the ray. Tears poured forth and he grunted until he could hold the pain no more.  
  
He ripped forth a massive scream that sounded more like the T-Rex from Jurassic Park, and much louder, "Unnnnnnn…rrrRRRWWWWAAAARRRR!!!!"  
  
"AARON!!!" Sailor Moon screamed rushing to his aid.  
  
Gigas' armour was cracking everywhere, smoldering from the intense heat it had been hit with. Blood was seen dripping on the floor beside him, and he coughed revealing that blood was coming from inside his body as well. "Get…uhh…out…of…here…" Gigas said as Sailor Moon held him with her arms.  
  
"I can't leave you here…" Sailor Moon said crying softly.  
  
"Don't…worry about…me. Get everyone…to safety. I'll…be fine…"  
  
Magitack laughed and slowly walked toward his helpless victim. "What a fitting way to die. Brother and sister. Hand in hand." He charged up another volley of fire and laughed, as the rest of the inner senshi could do no damage to him. "Now then…both of you…die!" He screamed and fired the blast.  
  
"Sailor Moon!!" her friends screamed.  
  
"Usako!!" Tuxedo Kamen said.  
  
The blast appeared to be on a direct impact course to blasting Sailor Moon. At the last second she felt her body turned the other way and covered by Gigas. The blast impacted him in the back and his lungs screamed with excruciating pain. "Aaron!" her eyes continued to plip tears. Magitack fired another volley, and then another, and another, until he has completely destroyed the entire back armour of Gigas. Each shot that impacted him in the back drew more and more pain in his face, and more tears from his eyes.  
  
"U…sa…gi…" Gigas said in a weak, powerless voice, "Get…e..veryone…out…of…h…ere."  
  
"No! I won't leave you here to die! You'll never be able to beat him! Let me help you!"  
  
Gigas looked at her with his blood stained face and the growing amount coming from his mouth, "Get…ou…t. If…you stay…here…you'll…be…k…illed." Sailor Moon shook her head resisting his orders.  
  
"One more shot…and you'll be holding hands in the land of the dead!" Magitack said with confidence, charging up.  
  
"Sai…lor…Moon…go…" Gigas' arm cannons started to charge up with energy, and just as Magitack let go one last blast, Gigas released a blast back, "Omega WAVE!!!"  
  
Magitack looked shocked at how powerful the blast was. It went right through his attack and drilled him into a wall injuring him badly. "Damn…you," he said falling off the impact crater in the wall.  
  
*Flashback*  
  
Magitack crashed into a wall and made a huge crater upon it. He hit the ground and noticed a few of his circuits were dislodged from place causing sparks to shower around. Meta slowly walked forward with his armour somewhat cracked, and blood sipping from his lip. He stopped in front of the downed villain and said, "I'm going to seal you away…forever!"  
  
Magitack made a rising growl and attacked Meta with a punch. Meta made a very slow dodge noticing Magitack's reaction time was greatly reduced. He charged his Sigma-Buster arm cannon and ripped a blast into Magitack, sending him back into the wall making the crater he created even bigger, and causing more circuits to fry and spark. "No…this…can't be! I'm more powerful…than you!" Meta looked at the fear in Magitack's eyes and a portal opened behind him where the impact crater had been created. It began pulling him toward it and with all his might he resisted. "I'll never…let…you…seal me…AWAY!!!" Magitack fired continuous blasts at the portal slightly beginning to disrupt the flow.  
  
He kept firing until he saw a bright light behind him. He turned around and heard Meta yell, "Moonlight, BLAST!!!" The crescent shaped energy ripped through him, and he flew into the portal screaming. The portal closed, and Meta took many deep heavy breaths.  
  
*End Flashback*  
  
Gigas eventually made his way back to his feet and said in a his weakened voice, "I'll…be fine…if I don't…end this now…he'll kill you all. This is a battle that I started a long time…ago…and now…I must finish it…alone." He turned his bloodied head to face his sister. Her crying eyes didn't want to acknowledge it, but she knew that this was a fight meant for him, and him alone. Every bone in her body kept telling her to ignore his suicide comments, and tell him that she would help him to the end, but…her heart told her that he knew what he was doing. She trusted him.  
  
Her lips slowly curled up into a slight smile and she nodded her head slightly. "Just come out of this…alive." She let go of him and ran back over to everyone else, who could do nothing more than wonder in amazement at how Gigas could still keep going despite the beating he'd taken. Sailor Moon said quickly as Magitack started to recover, "We have to get out of here. There is nothing more we can do. If we don't leave now, there will be no last line of defense."  
  
Zerto interjected, "Are you insane?! We can't just leave Meta here alone! He'll die!"  
  
Sailor Moon gave Zerto a look that quickly silenced his comments and she said in quick retort, "He is trusting us to get Schala out alive, and I trust that he'll win!" Everyone had objections, but with the way Sailor Moon was looking it would have no effect on her decision. "Come on! Let's get out of here!" She took off running out of the main chamber back toward the main doors of the arena. Everyone followed her instinctively but Zerto looked back once more at his friend. Then, he disappeared out of site with the rest of group.  
  
Gigas watched as his sister and her court had left and gave a moment of relief. Then, he looked back over at Magitack and thought, "It all ends here blasphemous creature."  
  
Magitack had recovered enough to stand on his own and the two warriors stood in awaiting positions. "I've had enough of your little tricks! It's time you die little Moon child!"  
  
Magitack fired a shot at Gigas with as much power as the first blast that ripped into his body when he protected his comrades. Gigas stood waiting for it, and took the blast straight up. He was knocked back a little, but he absorbed the energy into his armour. Magitack's eyes increased size and he fired more and more shots. Each one absorbed my Gigas, until Gigas released the energy stored up back at Magitack. Magitack was blasted against the wall again, making the impact crated even bigger than before.  
  
Gigas grabbed the wings on his back and attached them to the front end of his arm cannon (Usually his left arm since he's right handed). The wings folded back all the way to his shoulder and started to glow upon wrapping around his entire arm. The wings started to glow even brighter, and then it started to transfer the focal point at the center of the barrel. "Safety overloads disengaged," the voice of Windstrom sounded as the rest of Gigas' arm started to glow the color of the wings.  
  
Magitack was hurting more than before, and could only stay on one knee for the moment. He looked up at Gigas and screamed, "What are you doing?! What is that light?!"  
  
"It's the light…of your destroyer." Magitack tried as hard as he could to get back to both feet, and Gigas started his attack, "Sigma…NO!" The area around Gigas started to warp like time and space was being distorted. He kept gathering energy until a few sparks started to shoot from his armour. The suit was having trouble holding all that energy, but Gigas kept going knowing that he had to make sure that this shot took care of Magitack once and for all. The energy that had originally focused in the center of the barrel was now nearly as big as Gigas and its light was blinding. "HIKARI!!!!!" The blinding light blasted out of Gigas' cannon and sent his body flailing into the wall nearly 50 ft behind him. The incredible wave of power rushed forth toward Magitack and impacted into his body.  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!" *Fwa-BOOOOOM!!!* The entire room exploded from the incredible amount of energy and the very foundation of the arena started to shake violently. Gigas looked up at the ceiling and gave a slight smile before falling unconscious.  
  
Outside…  
  
The arena began to shake similar to when Uranus would use her World Shaking ability on a yoma. Eventually the structure started to collapse upon it's own weight and crushed into a massive pile of steel girders and concrete. Sailor Moon and her friends had made it to the exit doors just as the building started to crumble. They escaped with but a few seconds, and dove for cover as the dust and debris started scattering like cats running for their lives. After a few minutes Sailor Moon coughed and said, "Is everyone Ok?!"  
  
Sailor Mars was a little bit dusty but said, "Just a few cuts here, nothing bad."  
  
"Same here. No injuries other than some small cuts," Zerto said.  
  
Mercury moaned and coughed. A slightly larger gash was in her leg, but it wasn't anything to worry about. Dust covered her body as the rest of the Senshi, but Sailor Moon couldn't help but cry. Her friends were injured and her heart just couldn't bear to see them in any sort of pain what so ever.  
  
"Don't cry Sailor Moon. Everyone is Ok," Jupiter assured her. Schala moaned a little bit and made a few coughs slowly returning to the world of the living. She looked a little dazed from her encounter, but was wondering what the hell just happened.  
  
"Sailor…Moon?" Schala said rubbing her eyes thinking that she was dreaming. "Where…am I? What just happened?"  
  
Sailor Moon's next instinct was to wonder the whereabouts of her brother. Her first thought was that he was still alive buried in the wreckage, and she rushed over to the debris and started to clear it frantically hoping she would find him close to the front. After a few seconds she stopped her work and fell to her knees crying. Chibi-Moon walked over to her and said trying as hard as she could not to cry, "Sailor Moon…he did it…" her tears could not be withheld any longer and she embraced Sailor Moon crying. Tuxedo Kamen walked over and put a hand on each of their shoulders hoping to comfort them. Even he had tears in his eyes, but he refrained from showing as much emotion as Sailor Moon and Sailor Chibi-Moon. The two girls clung Tuxedo Kamen and sobbed. The Senshi were crying as well. Not once…or twice…but three times. They had to deal with the pain of losing someone important to them. Zerto could muster no tears and simply said with a cracking voice, and holding onto Mars trying to show her comfort, "He's finally…at peace."  
  
A few seconds later a blast ripped out near the top of the debris pile and a hand slowly made its way out trying to get a grip. As soon as the hand got a grip, it started to pull its way out slowly. Sailor Moon couldn't believe her eyes when she saw whom it was standing on top of the pile. "Aaron!" he voice cracked.  
  
Gigas' armour was decimated and anything still remaining was cracked like a spider web. He coughed and said in a firm voice, "It's over." After speaking these words, Aaron fell from the debris pile down the side to the ground and was no longer wearing any part of his armour. His clothes were shredded and blood stained, and burns covered most of his body. It was a gruesome site to say the least, but Sailor Moon rushed over to his aid and set him in a better position.  
  
Schala shrieked, "SHANE!!" and ran over to where Sailor Moon was gently hugging him. "Shane! What happened?! Are you all right?!"  
  
Aaron could barely speak and whispered, "Are you Ok?"  
  
Schala's eyes were full of tears and she nodded, "Yes, I'm fine. Thank you for saving me."  
  
Aaron's ever-growing pale lips moved into a slight smile and he replied, "Thank God." Aaron tried to move his hand up, but had not the strength left to do it. Schala gently grabbed his hand and put it on her cheek. Aaron felt the warm tears that moved down her face, and he wiped one away from her cheek.  
  
"Don't you worry you're going to be fine. You'll be back on your feet soon, and then…"  
  
Aaron shook his head slowly, "I'm…afraid that I…don't have the strength to survive. My…time…has come."  
  
Schala's eyes shook and she shook her head frantically, "No…you're going to be fine! I won't let you die! There is no way I will!"  
  
Aaron made a slight laugh and whispered, "Sailor Moon…take care of Schala for me…and…tell Zerto to tell my parents that…unnnghh…that…their son died…a hero."  
  
Sailor Moon shook her head and said, "You can tell her…that you're a hero. You're going to be fine. Please…you can't die on me again. I've already lost you twice. Don't make me go through it again."  
  
Aaron replied, "Usagi…listen to me…we were born warriors in this…world. At some point…warriors fall. I served…my purpose. I want you…to live a long…and prosperous life…with your husband…" Aaron turned his head to Schala and said, "Schala…"  
  
"Shane…you can't die…I'm in love with you. Please just hold on a little longer and we'll get you to a hospital. Please…" Schala said in a hushed voice.  
  
"Schala…I…know you are. I'm…sorry…to break your heart…but…unnnnhhh…" Aaron's eyelids closed and his hand that had a slight hold on Schala's hand went limp.  
  
"No…no…open your eyes Shane! Come on! Open your eyes!!" Schala looked at the defeated face on Sailor Moon and said in desperation, "What are you doing?! Why aren't you doing anything to help him?!!"  
  
Sailor Moon shook her head and replied, "Schala…I'm sorry. There is nothing I can do. He's dead…"  
  
Schala shook her head frivolously, "No! I won't accept that!!" Schala put her face on Aaron's clothes and cried. Sailor Moon turned her head away and did some silent weeping as well. Tuxedo Kamen and Chibi-Moon walked over to her, and she embraced them both in sobs.  
  
Schala raised her head and looked at the motionless face of Aaron and whispered, "Shane…" A light from the sky moved down upon the pale body of Aaron and Schala looked towards the heavens, "What…what is that light?" The Sailor Senshi pen in Schala's pocket began to glow and shimmered like a majestic diamond.  
  
The light became blinding and everyone covered his or her eyes. When they could see again, Aaron's body was gone and Schala looked around herself fanatically. She looked to the sky once more and screamed out, "SHANE!!!!!!!!!" 


	7. Epilogue

Reflections of the Past…Epilogue  
  
Three weeks later…the first day of the new school year…  
  
Schala went to school still morbidly depressed at the death of Shane. It had been three weeks since the incident, but she knew that her sophomore year of high school would be anything but comforting.  
  
"Schala!" a familiar voice called out to her in the halls.  
  
Schala turned around to see her friend, Rydian. Despite the sorrow in her heart she tried to convey that everything was going great and said, "Rydian! Long time no see! How was your summer?"  
  
Rydian gave a colossal grin and said, "It was long…but I did make a lot of money! Now that the new school year is here I can't wait for it to end! I can't believe it's my last year here." She looked like an idea just popped into her head and asked, "Speaking of last year here…have you seen Shane?" Schala felt her limbs go cold and she fell to her knees. The pain she was trying to cover up seemed to gush forth and she burst into tears. "Schala! Is everything Ok?! Did Shane do something to you?! Should I kick his ass?! Tell me!"  
  
Schala sniffed and said with her voice still cracking, "Shane…Shane is…"  
  
"Right there! Wait till I give HIM a piece of my mind!" Rydian stormed away.  
  
Schala quickly looked over to where Rydian was headed and couldn't believe her eyes. It was like she was hallucinating or dreaming, or some strange fantasy was playing out. "But…I saw him…die!" she thought. She looked at the Senshi pen in her jean pocket and back at Aaron.  
  
"Hey Shane!" Rydian said approaching him.  
  
The kid stopped and turned around, "Can I help you?"  
  
"Yeah! What did you do to Schala?! She started crying at the sound of your name! What did you do to her?!"  
  
The kid looked confused and said, "I think you may have me mixed up with another kid."  
  
Rydian smirked, "Come on now Shane! Don't play stupid with me! I know you did something to her! Why else would she cry?!"  
  
The kid simply shrugged and said, "Do I know either you?" Schala shook her head and rushed over to Shane embracing him in a hug. The tears started flowing again and Rydian looked completely confused, as did Shane. "Uhh…you feeling Ok there?" he asked.  
  
Schala simply whispered to him, "You're alive!"  
  
Shane blinked and said in confusion, "Alive? What are you talking about? Who are you in the first place?"  
  
Schala suddenly felt cold by his comment and asked quickly, "What do you mean who am I? You know who I am!"  
  
Shane shook his head, "Sorry…afraid I've never seen you before." Schala's hug loosened and Shane headed off toward class.  
  
Rydian still looked confused and said, "Schala…is…everything Ok?"  
  
Schala whispered sadly, "He…he doesn't remember anything?"  
  
1 Fin 


End file.
